OCT  2  9  2007 


SCHOOL  OF  INFORMATION 
AND  LIBRARY  SCIENCE 

THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 
DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00028209 


71 


Herbert  Carter's 
Legacy 


Arias,  r 


BY 
HORATIO  ALGER,  Jr. 

Author  of  The  Store  Boy,  Bound  to  Rise,  Brave  and  Bold,  Ca9b 

Boy,  Erie  Train  Boy,  Julius  the  Street  Boy,  Paul 

the  Peddler,  Phil  the  Fiddler,  Etc. 


CHICAGO 
M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  CO. 

407-429  Dearborn  St. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  Mrs.  Carter  Receives  a  Letter 

II.  What  the  Letter  Contained    . 

III.  Herbert  Meets  a  Relative 

IV.  Reading  the  Will       .        .        , 
V.  What  Came  Afterward     .        * 

VI.  The  Lawyer's  Home    .        „        , 

VII.  A  Welcome  Discovery        .        . 

VIII.  Herbert's  Return 

IX.  A  Business  Confidence        .        . 

X.  Squire  Leech  is  Baffled    .        , 

XI.  Sickness 

XII.  "Poor  and  Proud"     . 

XIII.  Mr.  Banks,  the  Superintendent 

XIV.  Herbert's  New  Undertaking     . 
XV.  The  Crisis  Approaches 

XVI.  An  Unexpected  Offer 

XVII.  What  the  Letter  Contained    . 

XVIII.  How  the  Squire  was  Circumvented 

XIX.  Herbert  Becomes  a  Professor 

XX.  Prospect  Pond 

XXI.  Rowing  .... 

XXII.  Andrew  Temple   . 

XXIII.  Temple  the  Tempter 

XXIV.  James  is  Snubbed 
XXV.  The  New  Boat 

iii 


PAOB 

I 

8 

15 

22 
29 
36 

44 
51 

59 
66 

73 

80 

88 

95 
103 
no 
117 
125 

132 
140 
148 

155 
162 
169 
177 


IV 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

page 

XXVI. 

The  Rival  Boatmen         .....     184 

XXVII. 

The  Race 

igt 

XXVIII. 

Mrs.  Carter's  Guest 

198 

XXIX. 

A  Bitter  Pii.l 

205 

XXX. 

Our  of  Work  Again 

213 

XXXI. 

A  New  Start     . 

220 

XXXII. 

Opening  the  Campaign 

.     228 

XXXIII. 

Herbert  as  a  Newsboy 

.     236 

XXXIV. 

Herbert's  Legacy      .        , 

244 

XXXV. 

Herbert's  Return     . 

252 

XXXVI. 

Conclusion 

.     259 

HERBERT  CARTER'S 
LEGACY 

CHAPTER  I 

MRS.  CARTER  RECEIVES  A  LETTER 

"  Is  that  the  latest  style?  "  inquired  James  Leech, 
with  a  sneer,  pointing  to  a  patch  on  the  knee  of  Her- 
bert Carter's  pants. 

Herbert's  face  flushed.  He  was  not  ashamed  of 
the  patch,  for  he  knew  that  his  mother's  poverty 
made  it  a  necessity.  But  he  felt  that  it  was  mean  and 
dishonorable  in  James  Leech,  whose  father  was  one 
of  the  rich  men  of  Wrayburn,  to  taunt  him  with  what 
he  could  not  help.  Some  boys  might  have  slunk 
away  abashed,  but  Herbert  had  pluck  and  stood  his 
ground. 

-  It  is  my  style,"  he  answered,  firmly,  looking 
James  boldly  in  the  face. 

"  I  admire  your  taste,  then,"  returned  James,  with, 
a  smooth  sneer. 

"  Then,  you  had  better  imitate  it,"  retorted  Her- 
bert. 

"Thank  you,"  said  James,  in  the  same  insulting. 


2      HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

tone.  "  Would  you  lend  me  your  pants  for  a  pat- 
tern? Excuse  me,  though;  perhaps  you  have  no 
other  pair." 

"  For  shame,  James !  "  exclaimed  one  or  two  boys 
who  had  listened  to  the  colloquy,  stirred  to  indigna- 
tion by  this  heartless  insult  on  the  part  of  James 
Leech  to  a  boy  who  was  deservedly  a  favorite  with 
them  all. 

Herbert's  fist  involuntarily  doubled,  and  James, 
though  he  did  not  know  it,  ran  a  narrow  chance  of 
getting  a  good  whipping.  But  our  young  hero  con- 
trolled himself,  not  without  some  difficulty,  and  said : 
"  I  have  one  other  pair,  and  these  are  at  your  ser- 
vice whenever  you  require  them." 

Then  turning  to  the  other  boys,  he  said,  in  a 
changed  tone :  "  Who's  in  for  a  game  of  ball  ?  " 

"  I,"  said  one,  promptly. 

"  And  I,"  said  another. 

Herbert  walked  away,  accompanied  by  the  other 
boys,  leaving  James  Leech  alone. 

James  looked  after  him  with  a  scowl.  He  was 
sharp  enough  to  see  that  Herbert,  in  spite  of  his 
patched  pants,  was  a  better  scholar  and  a  greater 
favorite  than  himself.  He  had  intended  to  humiliate 
him  on  the  present  occasion,  but  he  was  forced  to 
acknowledge  that  he  had  come  off  second  best  from 
the  encounter.  He  walked  moodily  away,  and  took 
what  comfort  he  could  in  the  thought  that  he  was 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY      3 

far  superior  to  a  boy  who  owned  but  two  pairs  of 
pants,  and  one  of  them  patched.  He  was  foolish 
enough  to  feel  that  a  boy  or  man  derived  importance 
from  the  extent  of  his  wardrobe ;  and  exulted  in  the 
personal  possession  of  eight  pairs  of  pants. 

This  scene  occurred  at  recess. 

After  school  was  over,  Herbert  walked  home.  He 
was  a  little  thoughtful.  There  was  no  disgrace  in  a 
patch,  as  he  was  sensible  enough  to  be  aware.  Still 
he  would  have  a  little  preferred  not  to  wear  one. 
That  was  only  natural.  In  that  point,  I  suppose, 
my  readers  will  fully  agree  with  him.  But  he  knew 
very  well  that  his  mother,  who  had  been  left  a 
widow,  had  hard  work  enough  to  get  along  as  it 
was,  and  he  had  no  idea  of  troubling  her  on  the  sub- 
ject. Besides,  he  had  a  better  suit  for  Sundays, 
which  was  neat  though  plain,  and  he  felt  that  he 
ought  not  to  allow  himself  to  be  disturbed  by  James 
Leech's  insolence. 

So  thinking,  he  neared  the  small  house  which  he 
called  home.  It  was  a  small  cottage,  with  some- 
thing less  than  an  acre  of  land  attached,  enough 
upon  which  to  raise  a  few  vegetables.  It  belonged 
to  his  mother,  nominally,  but  was  mortgaged  for 
half  its  value  to  Squire  Leech,  the  father  of  James. 
The  amount  of  the  mortgage,  precisely,  was  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It  had  cost  his  father 
fifteen  hundred.     When  he  built  it,  obtaining  half 


4      HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

this  sum  on  mortgage,  he  hoped  to  pay  it  up  by  de- 
grees; but  it  turned  out  that,  from  sickness  and 
other  causes,  this  proved  impossible.  When,  five 
months  before,  he  had  died  suddenly,  the  house, 
which  was  all  he  left,  was  subject  to  this  incum- 
brance. Upon  this,  interest  was  payable  semi- 
annually "at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent.  Forty-five  dol- 
lars a  year  is  not  a  large  sum,  but  it  seemed  very 
large  to  Mrs.  Carter,  when  added  to  their  necessary 
expenses  for  food,  clothing,  and  fuel.  How  it  was 
to  be  paid  she  did  not  exactly  see.  The  same 
problem  had  perplexed  Herbert,  who,  like  a  good 
son  as  he  was,  shared  his  mother's  cares  and  tried 
to  lighten  them.  But  in  a  small  village  like  Wray- 
burn  there  are  not  many  ways  of  getting  money,  at 
any  rate  for  a  boy.  There  were  no  manufactories, 
as  in  some  large  villages,  and  money  was  a  scarce 
commodity. 

Herbert  had,  however,  one  source  of  income. 
Half  a  dozen  families,  living  at  some  distance  from 
the  post  office,  employed  him  to  bring  any  letters  or 
papers  that  might  come  for  them,  and  for  this  ser- 
vice he  received  a  regular  tariff  of  two  cents  for 
each  letter,  and  one  cent  for  each  paper.  He  was 
not  likely  to  grow  rich  on  this  income,  but  he  felt 
that,  though  small,  it  was  welcome. 

According  to  custom,  Herbert  called  at  the  post 
office  on  his  way  home.     He  found  a  letter  for  Dea- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY      5 

con  Crossleigh,  one  for  Mr.  Duncan,  two  for  Dr. 
Waffit,  and  papers  for  each  of  the  two  former. 

"  Ten  cents ! "  he  thought  with  satisfaction. 
"  Well,  that  is  better  than  nothing,  though  it  won't 
buy  me  a  new  pair  of  pants." 

He  was  about  to  leave  the  office,  when  the  post- 
master called  after  him:  "  Wait  a  minute,  Herbert; 
I  believe  there's  a  letter  for  your  mother." 

Herbert  returned,  and  received  a  letter  bearing 
the  following  superscription :  "  Mrs.  Almira  Carter, 
Wrayburn,  New  York." 
■    "  I  hope  it  isn't  bad  news,"  said  the  postmaster. 

I  see  it's  edged  with  black." 

"  I  can't  make  out  where  it's  from,"  said  Her- 
bert, scanning  the  postmark  critically. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  the  postmaster,  rubbing  his  glasses, 
and  taking  another  look.  "  The  postmark  is  very 
indistinct." 

"  There's  an  n  and  a  p,"  said  Herbert,  after  a 
little  examination.  "  I  think  that  it  must  be  Ran- 
dolph." 

"  Randolph  ?  So  it  is,  I  declare.  Have  you  got 
any  friends  or  relatives  living  there  ?  " 

'  Yes,  my  mother's  uncle  Herbert,  for  whom  I 
was  named,  lives  there." 

"  Then  he  must  be  dead." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  " 

"  The  envelope  is  edged  with  black.     You  had 


6      HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

better  carry  it  home  before  you  go  round  with  the 
others." 

"  Perhaps  I  had,"  said  Herbert.  "  I'll  run,  so 
as  not  to  keep  the  others  waiting.  Deacon  Cross- 
leigh  is  always  in  a  hurry  for  his  paper." 

f<  Yes,  the  deacon's  always  in  a  fidget  to  know 
what's  going  on,  particularly  when  Congress  is  in 
session.  You  know,  he  takes  a  wonderful  interest  in 
politics." 

Herbert  ran  up  the  street  with  a  quick  step,  paus- 
ing a  minute  at  his  humble  home. 

'  You  are  out  of  breath,  Herbert.  Have  you 
been  running  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I've  got  a  letter  for  you,  and  I  wanted  to 
bring  it  before  I  went  round  with  the  rest." 

"  A  letter !  Where  from  ?  "  asked  the  widow, 
with  curiosity,  for  she  held  very  little  intercourse 
with  the  world  outside  of  Wrayburn. 

"  It's  postmarked  Randolph,  as  well  as  I  can  make 
out.  While  you  are  reading  it,  I'll  run  and  leave 
my  letters,  and  be  back  to  hear  the  news." 

In  a  hurry  to  do  all  his  errands  and  get  back,  Her- 
bert ran  all  the  way.  While  his  eyes  were  fixed  on 
one  of  the  envelopes,  he  ran  full  against  James 
Leech,  who  was  walking  up  the  street  with  a  pomp- 
ous air. 

In  the  encounter  James'  hat  came  offl,  and  he  was 
nearly  thrown  down. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY      7 

"What  made  you  run  into  me?  "  he  demanded, 
wrathfully. 

"  Excuse  me,  James,"  said  Herbert,  recovering 
himself. 

"  You  did  it  on  purpose,"  said  his  enemy,  glaring1 
at  him  angrily. 

"  That  isn't  very  likely,"  said  Herbert.  "  I  got 
hit  as  hard  as  you  did." 

"  Your  hat  didn't  get  knocked  off.  Pick  it  up," 
said  James,  imperiously,  pointing  to  it  as  it  lay  in 
the  path. 

"  I  will,  because  it  is  by  my  fault  that  it  fell,"  said 
Herbert,  stooping  over  and  picking  it  up.  "  You 
needn't  have  ordered  me  to  do  it." 

"  Take  care  the  next  time  how  you  run  against  a 
gentleman,"  said  James,  arrogantly. 

"  Take  care  the  next  time  to  speak  like  a  gentle- 
man," said  Herbert.  "  Good-night.  I  must  be 
off." 

"  Insolent  beggar !  "  muttered  James.  "  He  don't 
know  his  place.  How  dare  he  speak  to  me  in  that 
way?" 


CHAPTER  II 

WHAT    THE    LETTER    CONTAINED 

Half  an  hour  later,  Herbert  re-entered  the  cot- 
tage breathless  with  running. 

"Well,  mother,  what  is  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Uncle  Herbert  is  dead,"  she  answered. 

"When  did  he  die?" 

"  Yesterday  morning.  They  wrote  at  once. 
The  funeral  is  to  take  place  to-morrow  afternoon, 
at  three  o'clock." 

"  Uncle  Herbert  was  rich,  wasn't  he,  mother  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  must  have  left  nearly  a  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars." 

"  What  a  pile  of  money !  "  said  Herbert.  "  I 
wonder  how  a  man  feels  when  he  is  rich.  He  ought 
to  be  happy." 

"  Riches  don't  always  bring  happiness.  Uncle 
Herbert  was  disappointed  in  early  life,  and  that 
seemed  to  spoil  his  career.  He  gave  himself  up  to 
money-making,  and  succeeded  in  it;  but  he  lived  by 
himself  and  had  few  sources  of  happiness." 

"  Then  he  had  no  family?  " 

"  No." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY      9 

"  Do  you  think  he  has  left  us  anything,  mother?  " 
asked  Herbert,  with  something  of  hope  in  his 
tone. 

"  I  am  afraid  not.  If  he  had  been  disposed  to  do 
that  he  would  have  done  something  for  us  before. 
He  knew  that  we  were  poor,  and  that  a  little  assist- 
ance would  have  been  very  acceptable.  But  he 
never  offered  it.  Even  when  your  father  was  sick 
for  three  months,  and  I  wrote  to  him  for  a  small 
loan,  he  refused,  saying  that  we  ought  to  have  laid 
up  money  to  fall  back  upon  at  such  a  time." 

"  I  don't  see  how  a  man  can  be  so  unfeeling.  If 
he  would  only  leave  us  a  thousand  dollars,  how 
much  good  it  would  do  us !  We  could  pay  up  the 
mortgage  on  the  house,  and  have  something  left 
over.     It  wouldn't  have  been  much  for  him  to  do." 

"  Well,  we  won't  think  too  much  about  it,"  said 
Mrs.  Carter.  "  It  will  be  wisest,  as  probably  we 
should  be  only  preparing  ourselves  •  for  disappoint- 
ment. Uncle  had  a  right  to  do  what  he  pleased  with 
his  own." 

"  Shall  you  go  to  the  funeral,  mother  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  slowly. 
"  It  is  twenty  miles  off,  and  I  am  very  busy  just 
,now.  Still  one  of  us  ought  to  go,  if  only  to  show 
respect  to  so  near  a  relation.  People  would  talk  if 
we  didn't.  I  think,  as  you  were  named  for  your 
Uncle  Herbert,  I  will  let  you  go." 


io     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  If  you  think  best,  mother,  I  will  walk,  and 
that  will  save  expense." 

"  It  will  be  too  much  for  you  to  take  such  a  walk. 
You  had  better  ride." 

"  No,  mother,  I  am  young  and  strong.  I  can 
walk  well  enough." 

"  But  it  must  be  twenty  miles,"  objected  his 
mother. 

"  The  funeral  doesn't  take  place  till  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  I  will  get  up  bright  and  early, 
say  at  five  o'clock.  By  nine  I  shall  be  halfway 
there." 

"I  am  afraid  it  will  be  too  much  for  you,  Her- 
bert," said  Mrs.  Carter,  irresolutely. 

"  You  don't  know  how  strong  I  am,"  said  Her- 
bert ;  "  I  shan't  get  tired  so  easily  as  you  think." 

"  But  twenty  miles  is  a  long  distance." 

"  I  know  that,  but  I  shall  take  it  easy.  The  stage 
fare  is  seventy-five  cents,  and  it's  a  good  way  to  save 
it.  I  wish  somebody  would  offer  me  seventy-five 
cents  for  every  twenty  miles  I  would  walk.  I'd 
take  it  up  as  a  profession." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  could  earn  little  that  way.  I 
never  was  a  good  walker." 

"  You're  a  woman,"  said  Herbert,  patronizingly. 
"  Women  are  not  expected  to  be  good  walkers,  you 
know." 

"  Some  are.     I  remember  my  Aunt  Jane  would 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     n 

take  walks  of  five  and  six  miles,  and  think  nothing" 
of  it." 

"  I  guess  I  could  match  her  in  walking,"  said 
Herbert,  confidently.     "  Is  she  alive  ?  " 

"  No,  she  died  three  years  since." 

"  Perhaps  I  take  after  her,  then." 

"  You  don't  take  after  me,  I  am  sure  of  that.  I 
think,  Herbert,  you  had  better  take  seventy-five 
cents  with  you,  so  that  if  you  get  very  tired  with 
your  walk  over,  you  can  come  back  by  stage." 

"All  right,  mother;  I'll  take  the  money,  but  I 
shall  be  sure  not  to  need  it." 

"  It  is  best  to  be  prepared  for  emergencies,  Her- 
bert." 

"if  I  am  going  to-morrow  morning,  I  must 
split  up  enough  wood  to  last  you  while  I  am 
gone." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  tire  yourself.  I  think  I 
can  get  along  with  what  wood  there  is  already 
split." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  afraid  for  me.  You'll  see  I'll 
come  back  as  fresh  as  when  I  set  out.  I  expect 
to  have  a  stunning  appetite,  though." 

"  I'll  try  to  cook  up  enough  for  you,"  said  his 
mother,  smiling. 

Herbert  went  out  into  the  woodshed,  and  went 
to  work  with  real  energy  at  the  woodpile.  In  the 
course  of  an  hour  he  had  sawed  and  split  several 


i2  HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

large  baskets  full,  which  he  brought  in  and  piled  up 
.behind  the  kitchen  stove. 

Mrs.  Carter  could  not  be  expected  to  feel  very 
deep  grief  for  the  death  of  her  uncle.  It  was  now 
more  than  six  years  since  they  had  met.  He  was  a 
selfish  man,  wholly  wrapped  up  in  the  pursuit  of 
wealth.  Had  he  possessed  benevolent  instincts,  he 
would  have  offered  to  do  something  out  of  his 
abundance  for  his  niece,  who  he  knew  found  it  very 
hard  to  make  both  ends  meet.  But  he  was  a  man 
who  was  very  much  averse  to  parting  with  his 
money  while  he  lived.  He  lived  on  a  tenth  of  his 
income,  and  saved  up  the  rest,  though  for  what  end 
he  could  not  well  have  told.  Since  the  death  of 
Mr.  Carter,  whose  funeral  he  had  not  taken  trouble 
to  attend,  though  invited,  he  had  not  even  written 
to  his  niece,  and  she  had  abstained  from  making  any 
advances,  lest  it  might  be  thought  that  she  was  seek- 
ing assistance.  Under  these  circumstances  she  had  \ 
little  hope  of  a  legacy,  though  she  could  not  help 
admitting  the  thought  of  how  much  a  few  hundred 
dollars  would  help  her,  bridging  over  the  time  till 
Herbert  should  be  old  enough  to  earn  fair  wages  in 
some  employment.  If  he  could  study  two  or  three 
years  longer,  she  would  have  been  very  glad,  for  her  I 
son  had  already  shown  abilities  of  no  common  order; 
but  that  was  hardly  to  be  thought  of. 

"  There,  mother,  I  guess  I've  sawed  wood  enough 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     13 

to  last  you,  unless  you  are  very  extravagant,"  said 
Herbert,  re-entering  the  kitchen,  and  taking  off  his 
cap.  "  Now  is  there  anything  else  I  can  do  ?  You 
know  I  shall  be  gone  two  days,  or  a  day  and  a  half 
at  any  rate." 

"  I  think  of  nothing,  Herbert.  You  had  better 
go  to  bed  early,  and  get  a  good  night's  rest,  for  you 
will  have  a  hard  day  before  you." 

"  So  I  will,  but  eight  o'clock  will  be  soon  enough. 
Just  suppose  we  should  get  a  legacy,  after  all, 
mother.     Wouldn't  it  be  jolly?  " 

"  I  wouldn't  think  too  much  of  it,  Herbert. 
There  isn't  much  chance  of  it.  Besides,  it  doesn't 
seem  right  to  be  speculating  about  our  own  personal 
advantage  when  Uncle  Herbert  lies  dead  in  his 
house." 

There  was  justice  in  this  suggestion,  but  Herbert 
could  hardly  be  expected  to  take  a  mournful  view 
of  the  death  of  a  relative  whom  he  hardly  remem- 
bered, and  who  had  appeared  scarcely  to  be  aware 
of  his  existence.  It  was  natural  that  the  thought 
of  his  wealth  should  be  uppermost  in  his  young 
nephew's  mind.  The  reader  will  hardly  be  sur- 
prised to  hear  that  Herbert,  knowing  only  too  well 
the  disadvantages  of  poverty,  should  have  speculated 
a  little  about  his  uncle's  property  after  he  went  to 
bed.  Indeed,  it  did  not  leave  him  even  with  his 
waking  consciousness.     He  dreamed  that  his  uncle 


14     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

left  him  a  big  lump  of  gold,  so  big  and  heavy  that  he 
could  not  lift  it.  He  was  considering  anxiously'how 
in  the  world  he  was  going  to  get  it  home,  when  all 
at  once  he  awoke,  and  heard  the  church  clock  strike 
five. 

"Time  I  was  on  my  way!"  he  thought,  and, 
jumping  our  of  bed,  he  dressed  himself  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  went  downstairs.  But,  early  as  it 
was,  his  mother  was  down  before  him.  There  was 
a  fire  in  the  kitchen  stove,  and  the  cloth  was  laid  for 
breakfast. 

"  What  made  you  get  up  so  early,  mother?  "  asked 
Herbert. 

"  I  wouldn't  have  you  go  away  without  break- 
fast, Herbert,  especially  for  such  a  long  walk." 

"  I  meant  to  take  something  from  the  closet. 
That  would  have  done  well  enough." 

"  You  will  be  all  the  better  for  a  good,  warm  cup 
of  tea.  Sit  right  down.  It  is  all  ready." 
.  Early  as  it  was,  the  breakfast  tasted  good.  Her- 
bert ate  hastily,  for  he  was  anxious  to  be  on  his  way. 
Knowing  that  he  could  not  afford  to  buy  lunch,  he 
put  the  remnants  of  the  breakfast,  including  some 
slices  of  bread  and  butter  and  meat,  into  his  satchel, 
and  started  on  his  long  walk. 


CHAPTER  III 

HERBERT    MEETS    A    RELATIVE 

Herbert  had  never  been  to  Randolph.  In  fact, 
he  had  never  been  so  far  away  from  Wrayburn. 
He  was  not  afraid  of  losing  his  way,  however. 
Here  and  there  along  the  road  guide  posts  were  con- 
veniently placed,  and  these  removed  any  difficulty 
on  that  score. 

When  he  had  gone  about  six  miles,  the  coach  rat- 
tled by.  It  had  started  more  than  an  hour  later. 
Herbert  turned  out  for  the  lumbering  vehicle,  and 
waited  for  it  to  pass.  There  was  a  boy  on  top,  but 
such  was  the  cloud  of  dust  that  he  could  not  at 
first  recognize  him.  It  happened,  however,  that  one 
of  the  traces  broke,  so  that  the  driver  was  compelled 
to  make  a  stop  just  as  he  overtook  our  hero.  Then 
he  saw  that  the  boy  on  top  was  James  Leech. 

With  James  curiosity  overcame  his  disinclination 
to  speak  to  one  so  far  beneath  him. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Carter?  "  he  inquired. 

"  To  Randolph,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Going  to  walk  all  the  way  ?  " 
15 


x6     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  expect  to,"  said  Herbert,  not  relishing  the 
cross-examination. 

"  Why  don't  you  ride?  " 

James  did  not  ask  for  information.  He  knew 
well  enough  already,  but  as  there  are  purse-proud 
men,  so  there  are  boys  who  are  actuated  by  feelings 
equally  unworthy,  and  it  delighted  him  to  remind 
Herbert  of  his  poverty.  Herbert  divined  this,  but 
he  was  proud  in  his  way,  and  answered :  "  Because 
I  choose." 

"  Well,  you  must  like,  the  dust,  that's  all,"  said 
James,  complacently  tapping  his  well-polished  boot 
with  a  light  cane  which  he  had  brought. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  asked  Herbert,  think- 
ing it  about  time  for  him  to  commence  questioning. 

"  I'm  going  to  Randolph,  too,"  answered  James, 
with  unwonted  affability.  "  I'm  going  to  stop  a 
few  days  with  a  friend  of  mine,  Tom  Spencer.  His 
father's  a  rich  man — got  a  nice  place  there.  Didn't 
you  ever  hear  of  Mr.  Spencer,  the  lawyer?  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  have." 

"  That's  his  father.  He  makes  a  load  of  money 
by  his  law  business.  I  think  I  shall  study  law  some 
time.  Perhaps  I'll  go  into  partnership  with  him. 
What  are  you  going  to  be  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet,"  said  Herbert. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  be  a  mechanic  of  some  kind—* 
a  carpenter,  or  mason,  or  bricklayer." 


HERBERT  CARTERS  LEGACY     17 

"  Perhaps  so,"  said  Herbert,  quietly. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  Randolph  for  ?  "  asked 
James,  with  sudden  curiosity. 

"  To  attend  my  uncle's  funeral." 

"  What's  your  uncle's  name  ?  " 

"  The  same  as  mine." 

"  I  suppose  he  was  poor." 

"  No,  he  was  rich." 

"  Was  he  ?  "  repeated  James,  in  some  surprise. 
**  What  do  you  think  he  was  worth?" 

"  About  a  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  Sho !  you  don't  say  so.  Perhaps,"  continued 
James,  with  new-born  respect,  "  he  has  left  you 
something  in  his  will." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"Why  not?" 

"  He  hasn't  shown  any  interest  in  us  for  six 
years,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  think  he'll  remember 
us  now." 

James  looked  thoughtful.  He  had  never  before 
heard  of  this  relationship,  or  he  would  have  treated 
Herbert  differently.  The  mere  fact  of  having  a 
wealthy  relative  elevated  our  hero  considerably  in 
his  eyes.^  Then,  too,  there  was  a  possibility  that 
Herbert  would  turn  out  a  legatee. 

"When  is  your  uncle's  funeral?"  he  inquired, 
after  a  pause. 

"This  afternoon." 


18     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  You  won't  get  there  in  time.  You  had  better 
get  up  and  ride." 

"  No,  I  guess  not." 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  shall  meet  you  at  Randolph." 
'  By  this  time  the  harness  was  repaired,  the  driver 
resumed  his  seat,  and  whipped  up  the  horses  to  make 
up  for  lost  time. 

"  I'm  glad  I  don't  think  as  much  of  money  as 
James  Leech,"  thought  Herbert.  "  I  suppose  if 
my  uncle  would  only  leave  us  a  good  round  sum,  he 
would  forget  that  I  once  wore  patched  pants,  and 
accept  me  as  his  intimate  friend." 

This-  was  exactly  what  James  would  have  done, 
and  Herbert  showed  that  he  was  not  wholly  without 
knowledge  of  the  world  in  forming  the  conjecture. 

Pausing  occasionally  to  rest,  Herbert  at  length 
accomplished  his  journey,  arriving  at  Randolph  a 
little  after  noon.  He  stopped  just  outside  the  vil- 
lage and  ate  his  frugal  dinner,  which  by  this  time 
he  was  prepared  to  relish.  He  then  took  off  his 
jacket  and  beat  the  dust  out  of  it,  dusted  his  shoes, 
and  washed  his  face  in  a  little  brook  by  the  roadside. 
Having  thus  effaced  the  marks  of  travel,  he  entered 
the  village  and  inquired  the  way  to  the  residence  of 
his  late  uncle.  He  found  out  where  it  was,  but  did 
not  go  there  yet,  knowing  that  there  would  be  prep- 
arations going  on  for  the  funeral.  Neither  did  he 
go  to  the  tavern,  for  he  knew  that  he  would  be  ex- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY  19 

pected  to  dine  there,  and  this  was  an  expense  which 
he  did  not  feel  able  to  incur.  He  threw  himself 
down  in  the  shade  of  a  tree,  and  remained  there 
until  he  heard  the  church  clock  strike  two.  He  was 
still  lying  there  when  a  young  man,  smartly  dressed, 
sporting  a  showy  watch  chain  and  locket  and  an 
immense  necktie,  came  up  the  street  and  accosted 
him. 

"  I  say,  boy,  can  you  tell  me  where  old  man  Car- 
ter's house  is  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Herbert.  "  Do  you  want  to  go 
there?" 

"  Of  course  I  do.  I'm  one  of  the  relatives.  I've 
come  all  the  way  from  New  York  to  attend  the 
funeral." 

"  I'm  one  of  the  relations,  too,"  said  Herbert. 
"  We'll  go  along  together." 

"  By  Jove,  that's  strange !  How  are  you  related 
to  the  old  chap  ?  "  drawled  the  young  man. 

"  He  was  my  mother's  uncle." 

"  Was  he?  Well,  I'm  a  second  or  third  cousin,  I 
don't  know  which.  Never  saw  him  to  my  knowl- 
edge. In  fact,  I  wouldn't  have  come  on  to  the 
funeral  if  1  hadn't  heard  that  he  was  rich.  Expect 
to  be  remembered  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so.  He  hasn't  taken  any  notice  of 
mother  or  myself  for  years." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  young  man,  who  was  rather 


so     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

pleased  to  hear  this  intelligence.  "  Are  there  many 
relations,  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  there  are." 

"  That's  good.  It  makes  our  chance  better,  you 
know.     I  say,  what's  your  name?" 

"  Herbert  Carter." 

"  vSame  as  the  old  man's?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  he  know  you  was  named  for  him  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  Then  he  may  leave  you  something  for  the 
name,"  suggested  the  other,  not  very  well  pleased. 

•■'  I  don't  expect  anything.    What  is  your  name?  " 

"  Cornelius  Dixon.  I'm  related  to  the  old  man 
on  my  mother's  side." 

"  Are  you  in  business  in  New  York  ?  "  asked  Her- 
bert, who  in  spite  of  the  queer  manners  of  his  new 
relative,  felt  considerable  respect  for  one  who  hailed 
from  so  important  a  city. 

■  Yes,  I  am  a  salesman  in  a  New  York  store. 
Where  do  you  live?  " 

"  In  Wrayburn." 

"AVhere's  that?" 

"  About  twenty  miles  from  here." 

"  Some,  one-horse  country  town,  I  suppose.  Are 
you  in  any  business  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Herbert,  "  but  I'd  like  to  be.  Do  you 
think  you  could  get  me  a  place  in  New  York?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     21 

"  Well,"  said  Cornelius,  flattered  by  the  belief  in 
his  influence  which  this  inquiry  implied,  "  perhaps 
I  might.  You  can  give  me  your  name  and  address, 
so  I  can  write  to  you  if  I  hear  of  anything.  If  the 
old  man  only  leaves  me  a  few  thousand  dollars,  I'll 
go  into  business  for  myself,  and  then  I'd  have  an 
opening  for  you." 

"  I  hope  he  will,  then." 

"  So  do  I.  That  is  where  we  both  agree.  But 
perhaps  it  will  be  you  that  will  get  the  cash." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  If  you  do,  put  it  into  my  hands,  and  go  into 
partnership  with  me.  I've  got  business  experience, 
you  know;  while  you're  green,  countrified,  you 
know.     It  would  never  do  for  you  to  start  alone." 

"  No,  I  shouldn't  think  of  it." 

"Then  it's  agreed,  is  it?"  said  Cornelius.  "If 
I  get  a  legacy,  I'll  take  you  into  my  store.  If  you 
get  it,  you  will  go  into  partnership  with  me." 

"  I'm  willing,"  said  Herbert,  who  really  believed 
that  his  companion  had  as  valuable  business  quali- 
fications as  he  claimed.  How  was  he  to  know  that 
the  pretentious  Cornelius  was  only  a  salesman,  at 
twelve  dollars  a  week,  in  a  dry-goods  store? 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  rather  dingy- 
looking  house  rof  their  deceased  relative.  The  front 
door  was  open.  They  passed  through  the  gate  and, 
entering,  took  their  places  with  the  mourners. 


CHAPTER  IV 


READING    THE    WILL 


Apparently  the  deceased  had  but  few  relatives. 
'But  six  persons  were  in  a  small  room  appropriated 
to  the  mourner  when  our  hero  and  his  new  ac- 
quaintance entered.  One  of  these,  and  far  the  most 
imposing  in  appearance,  was  a  stout  lady,  who  quite 
filled  up  the  only  armchair  in  the  room.  In  a  plain 
chair  close  by  was  a  meek  little  man,  three  inches 
shorter,  and  probably  not  more  than  half  her  weight. 
A  boy  and  girl,  the  children  of  the  ill-matched  pair, 
the  former  resembling  the  father,  the  latter  the 
mother,  were  ranged  alongside.  Permit  me  to  in- 
troduce Mr.  and  Mrs.  Josiah  Pinkerton,  of  Castle- 
ton,  an  adjoining  tpwn,  Master  Albert  and  Miss 
Nancy  Pinkerton. 

Mrs.  Pinkerton  is  a  milliner,  and  her  husband  is 
her  clerk  and  errand  boy.  She  has  considerable 
business  capacity,  and  makes  enough  to  support  the 
family  comfortably,  besides  adding  something  an- 
nually to  the  fund  in  the  savings  bank.  The  rela- 
tionship to  the  deceased  is  on  the  side  of  the  hus- 
band, who  is  a  cousin.     This  relationship  has  given 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY  23 

rise  to  great  expectations  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Pink- 
erton,  who  fully  expects  to  inherit  half  the  estate 
of  Mr.  Carter. 

"  If  we  get  it,  Josiah,"  she  had  promised  mag- 
nificently, "  I  mean  to  buy  you  a  new  suit  of  Sunday 
clothes." 

"  But,  Maria,"  expostulated  the  meek  husband, 
"  it  will  be  left  to  me,  not  to  you." 

"Why  so?"  demanded  she,  frowning. 

"  Because  he  is  my  cousin,  not  yours." 

"  You  indeed !  "  retorted  the  wife,  angrily ;  "  and 
what  do  you  know  about  the  use  of  money?  Who 
supports  the  family,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  " 

"  I  help,"  answered  Josiah,  meekly. 

"  And  precious  little  you  help,"  returned  his  wife, 
sarcastically.  "  So  far  as  you  are  concerned,  we 
should  all  be  in  the  poorhouse  long  before  this.  No, 
Josiah,  the  money  must  come  into  my  hands.  I'll 
give  you  a  good  allowance,  and  hire  an  errand  boy 
so  that  you  needn't  have  to  carry  round  bundles. 
You  ought  to  be  contented  with  that." 

As  no  legacy  had  yet  been  received,  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton  thought  it  best  not  to  continue  the  discussion. 
Indeed,  he  was  rather  afraid  of  his  imperious  wife, 
who  held  the  reins  of  authority,  and  whom  he  did 
not  dare  to  dispute. 

The  two  other  relations  were,  first,  a  brown-faced 
and  brown-handed  fanner,  Alonzo  Granger,  and  am 


24     HERBERT  GARTER'S  LEGACY 

old  lady,  of  seventy  or  thereabouts — Miss  Nancy 
Carter,  a  sister  of  the  deceased.  For  years  she  had 
lived  on  a  small  pension  from  her  brother,  increased 
somewhat  by  knitting  stockings  for  the  neighbors. 
She,  indeed,  was  the  only  real  mourner.  The  rest 
were  speculating  about  how  far  they  were  likely  to 
be  benefited  by  the  death  of  the  deceased,  of  whom 
they  had  seen  but  little  in  life.  Even  Herbert, 
though  impressed  by  the  presence  of  death,  could 
hardly  be  expected  to  feel  deep  grief  for  a  man  who 
had  neglected  his  mother  in  his  life. 

Of  the  funeral  rites  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak. 
We  are  interested  in  what  came  afterward. 

The  relations  were  quietly  notified  to  meet  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Spencer,  the  lawyer,  to 
whom  had  been  intrusted  the  will  of  the  late  Mr. 
Carter.  Those  who  have  even  a  slight  knowledge 
of  human  nature  will  not  need  to  be  told  that  the 
attendance  of  all  was  punctual.  There  was  an 
anxious,  expectant  look  on  the  faces  of  all — not  even 
excepting  the  old  lady.  She  knew  that  if  her 
brother  had  made  no  provision  for  her,  she  must 
go  to  the  almshouse,  and  against  this  her  honest 
pride  revolted.  She  was  willing  to  live  on  any- 
thing, however  little,  if  she  might  live  independ- 
ently, as  she  had  hitherto  done.  To  feel  herself  de- 
pendent on  public  charity  would  indeed  have  been  a 
hard  trial  for  the  poor  old  lady.     Of  all,  probably 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     25 

Mrs.  Pinkerton  was  the  most  confident.  She  had 
come  to  feel  that  her  family  was  entitled  to  a  large 
share  of  the  estate,  and  she  had  gone  so  far  as  to 
decide  just  how  she  would  invest  it,  and  what  new 
arrangements  she  would  make,  for  she  had  no  idea 
of  consulting  her  husband  on  the  subject. 

The  lawyer  was  a  gentlemanly-looking  man, 
whose  face  inspired  confidence  in  his  integrity — a. 
remark  which,  unhappily,  cannot  be  made  of  all  in 
his  profession.  He  took  his  seat  at  a  table,  and  pro- 
duced the  will,  which  he  considerately  commenced 
reading  at  once.  Aiter  the  usual  introduction,  the 
will  proceeded  thus : 

"  To  my  sister  Nancy  I  give  the  use  of  my  house, 
rent  free,  as  long  as  she  shall  live.  I  leave  her  also 
an  income  of  two  hundred  dollars  a  year,  which,  as 
her  wants  are  small,  will  be  sufficient  to  maintain 
her  in  comfort." 

The  old  lady  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  Her  fears 
were  removed.  She  could  continue  to  live  as  she 
had  been  accustomed  to  do,  and  need  not  be  beholden 
to  private  or  public  charity.  Mrs.  Pinkerton  was 
not  so  well  pleased.  She  felt  almost  as  if  she  had 
been  deprived  of  what  belonged  to  her  by  right. 
She  frowned  at  Miss  Nancy,  but  the  old  lady  was 
unconscious  of  the  displeasure  excited  in  the  bosom 
•f  her  imposing-l©oking  relative. 


26     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

The  lawyer  proceeded :  "To  my  cousin,  Alonzo 
Granger,  I  leave  one  hundred  dollars;  not  because 
he  needs  it,  for  I  understand  that  he  is  well-to-do, 
but  as  a  mark  of  remembrance." 

The  farmer  scowled  slightly,  and  opened  and 
closed  his  brown  hands  in  dissatisfaction.  He  was 
well-to-do;  but  when  was  a  man  ever  satisfied  with 
that?  He  had  counted  upon  a  few  thousands,  with 
which  he  proposed  to  buy  an  adjoining  farm.  Mrs. 
Pinkerton,  however,  was  pleased.  There  was  so 
much  more  for  her. 

"  To  Cornelius  Dixon  " — here  Herbert's  morn- 
ing acquaintance  began  to  feel  excited — "  I  be- 
queath one  hundred  dollars,  to  buy  a  looking-glass 
and  a  new  suit  of  clothes." 

The  young  man's  face  lengthened  very  perceptibly 
as  he  heard  the  small  amount  of  his  legacy,  and  he 
glared  savagely  at  Mrs.  Pinkerton,  who  showed  a 
mirthful  face  at  his  discomfiture. 

Her  turn  came  next. 

"  To  Josiah-  Pinkerton,  his  wife  and  children,  I 
leave  one  hundred  dollars  apiece ;  also  my  best  black 
pantaloons,  which  he  or  his  wife  may  appropriate, 
as  may  be  arranged  between  them." 

All  except  the  Pinkertons  laughed  at  this  sly  hit, 
and  even  the  lawyer  smiled;  but  the  stout  lady 
flushed  with  rage  and  disappointment,  and  ejacu- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY  27 

latecl :  "  Abominable !  "  The  eyes  of  all  were  di- 
rected to  Herbert,  who  was  the  only  one  remaining". 
Could  it  be  possible  that  the  rest  of  the  property  was 
left  to  him  ?  The  fear  of  this  made  him  the  focus  of 
unfriendly  eyes,  and  he  became  restive  and  anxious. 

"  To  my  namesake,  Herbert  Carter,  I  leave  a 
black  trunk  which  I  keep  in  my  room,  with  all  that 
it  contains.  To  his  mother  I  direct  that  the  sum  of 
one  hundred  dollars  be  paid." 

This  was  not  much,  but  it  was  more  than  Herbert 
had  expected.  He  knew  how  welcome  even  one 
hundred  dollars  would  be  to  his  mother,  and  he 
looked  satisfied — the  only  one  of  the  party,  except 
the  old  lady,  who  showed  any  pleasure  at  the  con- 
tents of  the  will. 

The  relatives  looked  bewildered.  All  had  been 
mentioned  in  turn,  and  yet  but  a  small  part — a  very 
small  part — of  the  estate  had  been  disposed  of. 
Mrs.  Pinkerton  bluntly  expressed  the  general  curi- 
osity. 

"  Who  is  to  have  the  rest,  Mr.  Spencer?  "  she  de- 
manded. 

"  I'm  coming  to  that,"  answered  the  lawyer, 
quietly. 

"  All  the  rest  and  residue  of  my  property,  of 
whatever  kind,  I  leave  to  the  town  of  Randolph,  to 


28     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

establish  a  high  school,  directing  that  not  more  than 
twenty  thousand  dollars  be  expended  upon  the  build- 
ing, which  shall  be  of  brick.  I  desire  that  the  school 
shall  be  known  as  the  Carter  School,  to  the  end  that 
my  name  may  be  remembered  in  connection  with 
what  I  hope  will  prove  a  public  blessing." 

"  That  is  all,"  said  the  lawyer,  and  he  laid  down 
the  will  upon  the  table. 


?* 


CHAPTER  V 

WHAT    CAME    AFTERWARD 

There  was  silence  for  a  minute  after  the  will 
was  read.  Mrs.  Pinkerton  fanned  herself  furiously, 
and  looked  angry  and  excited. 

At  length  she  said :  "  I  wish  to  say  that  this  is 
a  very  unjust  will,  Mr.  Spencer." 

"  I  am  not  responsible  for  it,  Mrs.  Pinkerton/' 
answered  the  lawyer,  quietly. 

"  I  don't  know  what  the  rest  of  you  think,"  said 
the  angry  lady,  with  a  general  glance  around  the 
office,  "  but  I  think  the  will  ought  to  be  broken." 

"  On  what  grounds  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Spencer. 

"  He  had  no  right  to  put  off  his  own  flesh  and 
blood  with  a  beggarly  pittance,  and  leave  all  his 
money  to  the  town." 

"  Pardon  me;  whatever  you  may  think  of  Mr. 
Carter's  will,  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  had  a  perfect 
legal  right  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  did." 

"  Then  the  laws  ought  to  be  altered,"  said  Mrs. 
Pinkerton,  angrily.  "  I  don't  believe  he  was  sane 
when  he  made  the  will." 

29 


3o     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  If  you  can  prove  that,"  said  the  lawyer,  "  you 
can  set  aside  the  will;  but  not  otherwise." 

"  My  brother  was  in  his  right  mind,"  here  inter- 
posed Miss  Nancy.  "  He  always  meant  to  give  the 
town  money  for  a  school." 

"  No  doubt  you  think  he  was  sane,"  sneered  Mrs. 
Pinkerton,  turning  upon  the  old  lady.  "  You  have 
fared  better  than  any  of  us." 

"miss  Nancy  was  most  nearly  related  to  the  de- 
ceased," said  the  lawyer,  "  and  she  needed  help 
most." 

"  It's  all  very  well  to  talk,"  said  the  lady,  toss- 
ing her  head,  "  but  me  and  mine  have  been  badly 
used.  I  have  hard  work  enough  to  support  the 
family,  and  little  help  I  get  from  him,"  she  added, 
pointing  to  her  unhappy  husband. 

"  I'm  workin'  all  the  time,"  remonstrated  Josiah. 
"  You  are  unkind,  Maria." 

"  I  could  hire  a  boy  to  do  all  your  work  for  three 
dollars  a  week,"  she  retorted.  "  That's  all  you  help 
me.  I've  worried  along  for  years,  expectin'  Mr. 
Carter  would  do  something  handsome  for  us ;  and 
now  he's  put  us  off  with  four  hundred  dollars." 

"  I  get  only  one  hundred,"  said  the  farmer. 

"  And  I  too.  It's  a  beastly  shame,"  remarked 
Cornelius. 

"  Really,"  said  the  lawyer,  "  it  appears  to  me  un- 
seemly to  speak  so  bitterly  so  soon  after  the  funeral." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     3« 

"  I  dare  say  you  like  it  well  enough,"  said  Mrs. 
Pinkerton,  sharply.  "  You've  got  all  our  money  to 
build  a  schoolhouse." 

"  It  will  not  benefit  me  any  more  than  the  towns- 
people generally,"  said  the  lawyer.  "  For  my  part, 
I  should  have  been  glad  if  my  late  friend  had  left 
a  larger  sum  to  those  connected  with  him  by 
blood." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  could  break  the  will  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Pinkerton,  persuasively.  "  Couldn't 
you  help  us?  " 

"  You  can  attempt  it,  but  I  assure  you  in  advance 
you  haven't  the  ghost  of  a  chance.  You  would  only 
lose  your  money,  for  the  town  would  strenuously 
oppose  you." 

The  stout  lady's  face  fell.  She  felt  that  the  last 
hope  was  gone. 

"  All  I  can  say  is,  that  it's  a  scandalous  thing," 
she  concluded,  bitterly. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what's  in  that  trunk  he 
left  you,"  said  Cornelius  Dixon,  turning- to  Herbert. 
"  Maybe  it's  money  or  bonds.  If  it  is,  don't  for- 
get our  agreement." 

This  drew  attention  to  Herbert. 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  Mrs.  Pinkerton,  whose  curi- 
osity was  aroused,  "  Mr.  Dixon  may  be  right.  Sup- 
pose we  all  go  over  to  the  house  and  open  it." 

Herbert  looked  irresolutely  toward  the  lawyer. 


32     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  There  is  no  objection,  I  suppose,"  said  Mr. 
Spencer. 

"  I  know  what's  in  the  trunk,"  said  Miss  Nancy, 
quietly. 

Straightway  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  her. 

"What  is  it?" 

"  It's  clothes.  My  brother  used  to .  keep  his 
clothes  in  that  trunk." 

Cornelius  Dixon'  burst  into  a  rude  laugh. 

"  I  say,  Herbert,  I  congratulate  you,"  he  said, 
with  a  chuckle.  "  The  old  fellow's  left  you  his 
wardrobe.  You'll  look  like  a  peacock  when  you  put 
'em  on.  If  you  ever  come  to  New  York  to  see  me, 
leave  'em  at  home.  I  wouldn't  like  to  walk  up 
Broadway  with  such  a  gawk  as  you'd  look." 

"  Young  man,"  said  Miss  Nancy,  her  voice  trem- 
ulous, "  it  don't  look  well  in  you  to  ridicule  my  poor 
departed  brother.     He  didn't  forget  you." 

"  He  might  as  well,"  muttered  Cornelius. 

"  I  hope  you  won't  laugh  at  my  brother's  gift," 
said  the  old  lady,  turning  to  Herbert. 

"  No,  ma'am,"  said  Herbert,  respectfully.  "  I 
am  glad  to  get  it.  I  can't  afford  to  buy  new  clothes 
often,  and  they  can  be  made  over  for  me." 

"  You  wouldn't  catch  me  wearing  such  old- 
fashioned  duds,"  said  Cornelius,  scornfully. 

"  No  one  asked  you  to,  young  man."  said  the  old 
lady,  disturbed  at  the  manner  in  which  her  brother 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY  33 

was   spoken   of.     "  The   boy's   worth    a    dozen    of 
you." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Cornelius,  bowing  with  mock 
respect.  "  I  should  like  to  ask,"  he  continued,  turn- 
ing to  the  lawyer,  "  when  I  can  get  my  legacy.  It 
isn't  much,  but  I  might  as  well  take  it." 

"  As  the  amount  is  small,  I  will  send  you  a  check 
next  week,"  said  Mr.  Spencer,  "  if  you  will  leave 
me  your  address." 

"  And  can  I  have  my  money,  too  ?  "  demanded 
Mrs.  Pinkerton.  "  It's  a  miserable  pittance,  but  I 
owe  it  to  my  poor  children  to  take  it." 

"  I  will  send  your  husband  a  check  also,  next 
week,  madam." 

"  You  needn't  send  it  to  him.  You  may  send  it  to 
me,"  said  the  lady. 

"  Part  of  it  is  mine,"  expostulated  the  husband, ; 
in  meek  deprecation. 

"  I  can  give  you  your  part,"  said  his  wife. 
"Mr  Spencer,  you  may  make  the  check  payable 
to  me." 

"  But,  Maria " 

"  Be  silent,  Josiah !  Don't  make  a  fool  of  your- 
self," said  his  wife,  in  an  imperious  tone. 

The  poor  man  was  fain  to  be  silent,  but  the  lawyer 
was  indignant,  and  said :  "Mr.  Pinkerton,  I  will  cer- 
tainly not  pay  your  legacy,  nor  your  children's,  to 
anyone  but  yourself.     I  will  send  Mrs.  Pinkerton  a 


34     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

check  for  her  own  share — one  hundred  dollars— 
since  she  desires  it." 

"  I  insist  upon  your  sending  me  the  children's 
money  also,"  said  the  lady,  angrily.  "  He  ain't  fit 
to  take  charge  of  it." 

:'  You  may  insist  as  much  as  you  like,  Mrs.  Pink- 
erton,"  said  the  lawyer,  coolly,  "  but  it  will  be 
useless.  As  the  head  of  the  family,  I  shall  send  the 
money  designed  for  the  children  to  your  husband." 

"  Do  you  call  him  the  head  of  the  family?  "  de- 
manded the  angry  Maria.  "  I  would  have  you 
know,  sir,  that  I  am  the  head  of  the  family." 

"  The  law  does  not  recognize  you  as  such.  As 
to  the  pantaloons,  which  form  a  part  of  the  legacy, 
I  will  forward  them  to  you,  if  you  wish." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insult  me,  sir?  "  gasped  Mrs. 
Pinkerton,  growing  very  red  in  the  face. 

"  Not  at  all;  but  they  were  left  either  to  you  or 
your  husband,  as  you  might  jointly  agree." 

The  lady  was  about  to  decline  accepting  them  at 
all,  but  it  occurred  to  her  that  they  might  be  made 
over  to  suit  her  husband,  and  so  save  the  expense 
of  a  new  pair,  and  she  directed  that  they  should  be 
sent  to  him. 

Then,  gathering  her  family  about  her,  she  strode 
majestically  from  the  office,  shaking  off,  metaphori- 
cally, the  dust  of  her  feet  against  it. 

Next  Mr.  Granger,  after  a  few  words  with  the 


HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY  35 

lawyer,  departed.  Mr.  Cornelius  Dixon  also  an- 
nounced that  he  must  depart. 

"  Come  and  see  me  some  time  in  the  city,"  he 
said  to  Herbert,  "  and  if  you  ever  get  a  windfall 
just  put  it  into  my  hands,  and  I'll  go  into  business 
with  you." 

"  I'll  remember,"  said  Herbert,  "  but  I'm  afraid 
it  71  be  a  good  while  before  that." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  You  can  open  a  sec- 
ond-hand clothing  store.  The  old  man's  left  you  a 
good  stock  in  trade.  Good  joke,  isn't  it?  Good- 
by." 

Next  Miss  Nancy  rose  to  go. 

"  Tell  your  mother  to  call  and  see  me,  my  boy," 
she  said,  kindly,  to  Herbert.  "  I  wish  my  brother'd 
left  her  more,  for  I  know  she  needs  it." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Nancy,"  said  Herbert,  respect- 
fully; "but  we  don't  complain.  We  are  thankful 
for  what  we  have  received." 

"  You're  the  best  of  'em,"  said  the  old  lady,  ear- 
nestly. "  You're  a  good  boy,  and  God  will  prosper 
you."      , 

She  went  out,  and  of  the  eight  heirs  Herbert 
alone  remained. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    LAWYER'S    HOME 

The  lawyer  regarded  Herbert  with  a  smile. 

"  Your  uncle's  will  doesn't  seem  to  have  given 
general  satisfaction,"  he  said. 

"  No,"  responded  Herbert ;  "  but  for  my  part  I 
have  come  out  as  well  as  I  expected." 

"I  suppose  you  know  Mr.  Carter  was  rich?" 

"  So  my  mother  told  me." 

"  How  much  do  you  think  he  was  worth  ?  " 

Herbert  was  rather  surprised  at  this  question. 
Why  should  the  lawyer  ask  it,  when  of  course  he 
knew  much  more  about  the  matter? 

"  About  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  I  suppose," 
he  answered. 

"  You  are  not  far  wrong-.  Now  doesn't  your 
share,  and  your  mother's,  seem  very  small  compared 
with  this  large  amount  ?  " 

"It  is  very  small  compared  with  that,  but  we 
had  no  claim  to  anything.  The  clothes  and  the 
money  will  be  very  useful  to  us." 

"  You  are  a  model  heir,"  said  Mr.  Spencer,  smil- 
36 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     37 

ing.  "  You  alone  do  not  find  fault,  except,  of 
course,  Miss  Nancy,  who  has  fared  the  best." 

"  I  would  rather  make  a  fortune  for  myself  than 
inherit  one  from  another,"  said  Herbert,  sturdily. 

"  I  respect  your  independence,  my  boy,"  said  the 
lawyer,  who  felt  favorably  disposed  toward  our 
hero.  "  Still,  a  legacy  isn't  to  be  despised.  Now 
tell  me  when  you  want  to  take  your  trunk." 

"  I  want  to  ask  your  advice  about  that,"  said  Her- 
bert. "  I  walked  over  from  Wrayburn.  How 
shall  I  carry  the  trunk  back?  " 

"  You  will  have  to  return  by  the  stage  to-morrow 
morning,  that  is,  if  you  are  ready  to  go  back  s^ 
soon." 

"  Do  they  charge  much  to  stop  overnight  at  the 
hotel  ?  "  asked  Herbert,  anxiously,  for  he  had  but 
seventy-five  cents  with  him.  It  occurred  to  him 
how  foolish  he  had  been  not  to  consider  that  it  would 
be  necessary  for  him  to  spend  the  night  in  Ran- 
dolph. 

"  I  don't  know  exactly  how  much.  I  think  they 
charge  fifty  cents  for  a  bed,  and  the  same  for  each 
meal." 

Herbert's  face  lengthened,  and  he  became 
alarmed.  How  was  he  going  to  manage,  on  his 
limited  resources? 

The  lawyer  penetrated  his  perplexity,  and,  being 
a  kind-hearted  man,  quickly  came  to-  his  relief. 


38  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  think  you  would  find  it  lonely  at  the  hotel, 
my  boy,"  he  said,  "  and  I  shall  therefore  invite  you 
to  pass  the  night  at  my  house  instead." 

"  You  are  *Pery  kind,  sir,"  said  Herbert,  grate- 
fully, finding  his.  difficulty  happily  removed.  "  I  ac- 
cept your  invitation  with  pleasure." 

"  The  boy  has  been  well  brought  up,  if  he  is 
poor,"  thought  Mr.  Spencer.  "  Well,"  he  said, 
"  that  is  settled.  I  think  our  supper  must  be  ready, 
so  we  will  go  over  to  the  house  at  once.  By  the 
way,  there  is  a  boy  from  your  town  visiting  my  son. 
You  must  know  him." 

"Is  it  James  Leech?"  asked  Herbert,  remem- 
bering what  James  had  told  him. 

"Yes.     Do  you  know  him?" 

"  We  are  schoolmates." 

"  Then  it  will  be  pleasant  for  you  to  meet." 

Herbert  was  not  quite  sure  about  this,  but  for- 
bore to  sa)r  so. 

He  accompanied  Mr.  Spencer  to  his  house,  which 
was  just  across  the  street  from  the  office,  and  fol- 
lowed the  lawyer  into  an  apartment  handsomely 
furnished.  James  Leech  and  Tom  Spencer  were 
sitting  at  a  small  table,  playing  checkers. 

"Hello,  Carter!"  exclaimed  James,  in  surprise, 
"how  came  you  here?" 

"  Mr.  Spencer  invited  me,"  said  Herbert,  not  sur- 
prised at  the  mode  of  address. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     39 

"  Did  your  uncle  leave  you  anything  ?  "  asked 
[James,  with  interest. 

"  Yes." 

"How  much?" 

"  He  left  my  mother  a  hundred  dollars." 

"  That  isn't  much,"  said  James,  contemptuously. 
*Was  that  all?" 

"  No,  he  left  me  a  trunk,  and  what  is  in  it." 

"What  is  in  it?" 

"  Clothes,  I  believe." 

"  A  lot  of  old  clothes !  "  commented  James,  turn- 
ing up  his  nose.  "  That's  a  fine  legacy,  I  must 
say." 

"  I  shall  find  them  very  useful,"  said  Herbert, 
quietly. 

"  Oh,  no  doubt.  You  can  roll  up  the  pants  and 
coat-sleeves.  It  will  be  fun  to  see  you  parading 
round  in  your  uncle's  tailcoats." 

"  I  don't  think  you'll  have  that  pleasure,"  said 
Herbert,  flushing.  "If  I  wear  them  I  shall  have 
them  made  over  for  me." 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  your  new  and  extensive 
wardrobe,"  said  James,  mockingly.  "  Won't  you 
cut  a  dash,  though,  on  the  streets  of  Wrayburn !  " 

Herbert  did  not  deign  a  reply  to  this  rude  speech. 
Tom  Spencer,  who  was  much  more  of  a  gentleman 
than  James,  was  disgusted  with  his  impertinence, 
He  rose,  and  took  Herbert  by  the  hand. 


40     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

'  You  must  let  me  introduce  myself,"  he  said. 
"  My  name  is  Thomas  Spencer,  and  I  am  glad  to 
see  you  here." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Herbert,  his  heart  opening  at 
:he  frank  and  cordial  manner  of  the  other.  "  My 
name  is  Herbert  Carter,  and  I  a'm  very  glad  to  make 
your  acquaintance." 

"Are  you  going  to  finish  this  game,  Tom?" 
drawled  James,  not  relishing  the  idea  of  Herbert's 
receiving  any  attention  from  his  friend. 

"  If  you  don't  mind,  we'll  have  it  another  time," 
said  Tom.  "  There  goes  the  supper  bell,  and  I  for 
one  am  hungry." 

At  the  supper  table  James  noticed,  to  his  secret 
disgust,  that  Herbert  was  treated  with  as  much  con- 
sideration as  himself.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  ap- 
peared to  consider  them  social  equals,  which  made 
James  very  uncomfortable. 

;i  You  boys  are  about  of  an  age,  I  suppose,"  said 
Mr.  Spencer. 

"  I  really  don't  know,"  said  James,  haughtily. 

'  You  attend  the  same  school?  " 

'  Yes,"  said  James,  "  but  I  expect  to  go  to  some 
select  academy  very  soon.  At  a  public  school  you 
have  to  associate  with  all  classes,  you  know." 

Mr.  Spencer  arched  his  brows,  and  steadily  re- 
gardecT  the  young  aristocrat. 

"  I  don't  see  any  great  distinction  of  classes  in  a 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  41 

country  village,"  said  he,  dryly.  "  Besides,  we  are 
living  in  a  republic." 

".  You  wouldn't  like  to  associate  on  equal  terms 
with  a  day  laborer,"  said  James,  pertly. 

"I  am  a  laborer  myself,"  said  the  lawyer,  smil- 
ing. "  I  wish  I  could  say  I  was  a  day  laborer  ex- 
clusively, but  sometimes  I  have  to  work  into  the 
night." 

"  You  are  a  professional  man,  and  a  gentleman," 
said  James.     "  You  don't  work  with  your  hands." 

••  I  hope  you  boys  will  all  grow  up  gentlemen," 
said  Mr.  Spencer. 

"  I  shall,  of  course,"  said  James. 

"And  you,  Tom?" 

*  I  hope  so." 

"And  you,  Herbert?" 

"  I  hope  so;  too,"  said  Herbert ;  "  but  if  it  is  neces- 
sary to  be  rich  to  be  a  gentleman,  I  am  not  sure 
about  it." 

"  What  is  your  idea  of  a  gentleman,  James  ?  " 
asked  the  lawyer. 

"  He  must  be  of  a  good  family,  and  wear  good 
clothes,  and  live  nicely." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  He  ought  to  be  well  educated." 

"  I  see  you  name  that  last  which  I  should  name 
first.  So  these  constitute  a  gentleman,  in  your  opin- 
ion?" 


4*     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Not  always.  I  have  known  men  combining  all 
the  qualifications  you  have  mentioned,  who  were 
very  far  from  being  gentlemen,  in  my  opinion." 

"  How  is  that,  sir?  "  asked  James,  puzzled. 

"  They  were  arrogant,  puffed  up  with  an  idea  of 
their  own  importance,  deficient  in  politeness." 

"  How  well  he  has  described  James !  "  thought 
Herbert,  but  he  was  too  much  of  a  gentleman  to  say 
so. 

James  looked  disconcerted,  and  dropped  the  sub- 
ject. He  thought  the  lawyer  had  some  queer  ideas. 
Why  need  a  gentleman  be  polite  to  his  inferiors  ?  he 
thought,  but  he  didn't  say  so. 

After  supper  the  boys  went  out  behind  the  house, 
and  feasted  on  peaches,  which  were  just  ripe.  Her- 
bert found  Tom  very  social,  but  James  took  very 
little  notice  of  him.  Our  hero  did  not  make  himself 
unhappy  on  this  account.  In  fact,  he  was  in  unusual 
good  spirits,  and  enjoyed  in  anticipation  the  pleas- 
ure of  going  back  to  Wrayburn  with  the  welcome 
news  of  the  two  legacies. 

About  half-past  seven  Mr.  Spencer  came  out  into 
the  orchard. 

"  As  the  stage  starts  early  in  the  morning,  Her- 
bert," he  said,  "  we  had  better  go  over  and  get  the 
trunk  ready,  so  that  you  can  take  it  home." 

James  Leech  hoped  to  receive  an  invitation  to  ac- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     43 

company  the  two;  but  no  invitation  was  given,  and 
he  was  forced  to  content  himself  with  staying  behind, 
wondering  the  while  what  the  contents  of  the  trunk 
could  be,  and  laughing  maliciously  as  he  thought  of 
Herbert  attired  :e  the  old  clothes  of  his  deceased 
relative. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  WELCOME  DISCOVERY 

Mr.  Spencer  entered  the  house  so  lately  vacated 
by  the  old  man  who  had  occupied  it  for  forty  years. 

"  The  trunk  is  in  your  uncle's  room,"  said  the 
lawyer,  "  or  ought  to  be.  I  suppose  it  has  not  been 
moved." 

The  two  entered,  the  chamber.  It  was  a  small, 
poorly  furnished  apartment,  covered  with  a .  carpet 
which,  cheap  in  the  first  place,  was  so  worn  with 
use  that  the  bare  floor  showed  in  spots. 

"  Your  uncle  was  not  very  luxurious  in  his  taste,'* 
said  Mr.  Spencer.  "  There  are  plenty  of  day  labor- 
ers in  town  who  have  as  good  rooms  as  this.'* 

"  I  suppose  he  liked  laying  up  money  better  than 
spending  it,"  said  Herbert. 

"  You  are  right  there.     This  must  be  the  trunk." 

It  was  a  small,  black  hair  trunk,  studded  with 
brass  nails.  Mr.  Spencer  took  a  bunch  of  keys  from 
his  pocket  and  unlocked  it.  Lifting  the  cover,  he  ex- 
posed to  view  a  collection  of  woolen  clothes — coats, 
vests,  and  pants. 

44 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     45 

"  This  is  your  legacy,.  Herbert,"  said  the  lawyer. 
"  I  am  afraid  you  won't  find  it  very  valuable.  What 
is  this?" 

He  drew  out,  and  held  up  to  view,  a  blue  cloak  of 
ample  proportions. 

"  Will  you  try  it  on  ?  "  he  said,  smiling. 

Herbert  threw  it  over  his  shoulders,  and  looked 
at  himself  in  a  small  seven-by-nine  looking  glass 
which  was  suspended  over  the  washstand.  It  came 
down  nearly  to  his  feet. 

"  I  should  hardly  dare  to  wear  this  without  altera- 
tion," he  said ;  "  but  there  is  a  good  deal  of  good 
cloth  in  it.  Mother  can  cut  a  coat  and  vest  out  of  it 
for  me." 

"  Here  is  a  blue  coat  with  brass  buttons.  I  re- 
member your  uncle  used  to  wear  it  to  church  twenty 
years  ago.  Of  late  years  he  has  not  attended,  and 
has  had  no  occasion  to  wear  it.  Here  is  a  pair  of 
pantaloons ;  but  they  are  pretty  well  worn." 

So  they  went  through  the  list,  finding  little  of 
value.     The  last  article  was  a  vest. 

"  It  seems  heavy,"  said  Herbert. 

The  lawyer  took  it  from  him  and  examined  it. 

"  There  seems  to  be  an  inside  pocket,"  he  said. 
"  There  must  be  something  in  it." 

The  pocket  was  confined  by  a  button;  Mr.  Spen- 
cer thrust  his  fingers  inside,  and  drew  out  something 
loosely  enveloped  in  brown  paper. 


46     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"What  have  we  here?"  he  said,  in  a  tone  of 
curiosity. 

The  secret  was  speedily  solved.  When  the  paper 
was  opened,  it  was  found  to  contain  five  gold  eagles, 
and  two  dollars  in  silver  coins. 

Herbert's  eyes  glistened  with  delight  as  he  viewed 
the  treasure. 

"  Fifty-two  dollars!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  And  it  is 
mine." 

"  Undoubtedly.  The  will  expressly  says  you  are 
to  have  the  trunk,  and  all  it  contains." 

"  I  wonder  whether  Uncle  Herbert  remembered 
this  money?  " 

"  We  can't  tell  as  to  that,  but  it  doesn't  affect 
your  title  to  the  money.  I  congratulate  you,  Her- 
bert." 

"  It  will  do  us  a  great  deal  of  good.  Then  there 
are  the  hundred  dollars  for  mother.  Why,  we  shalf 
be  rich." 

"  Then  you  are  content  with  your  legacy?  "  asked 
Mr.  Spencer. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  it  was  more  than  I  expected,  or 
mother,  either." 

"  Yet  it  is  but  a  mere  drop  of  your  uncle's  wealth," 
said  the  lawyer,  thoughtfully. 

"  That  may  be ;  but  he  needn't  have  left  us  any- 
thing." 

"  I  see  you  look  upon  it  in  the  best  way.     You 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     47 

are  quite  a  model  heir — very  different  from  most  of 
your  relatives — Mrs.  Pinkerton,  for  instance." 

"  I  suppose  she  expected  more  than  I  did." 

"  She  appeared  to  expect  the  bulk  of  the  property. 
I  am  afraid  her  husband  will  have  a  hard  time  of  it 
for  a  week  to  come,"  said  the  lawyer,  laughing. 
"  He  will  have  to  bear  the  brunt  of  her  disappoint- 
ment. Well,  there  seems  no  more  for  us  to  do  here. 
'We  have  found  out  the  value  of  your  legacy,  and 
may  lock  the  trunk.  If  you'll  lend  a  hand,  we  will 
take  it  across  to  my  house,  so  that  there  may  be  no 
delay  when  the  stage  calls  in  the  morning." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

James  Leech  was  looking  out  of  the  front  win- 
dow, awaiting  the  return  of  Mr.  Spencer  and  Her- 
bert with  not  a  little  curiosity.  At  length  he  spied 
them. 

"  Tom !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  your  father  and  that 
Carter  boy  are  coming  back." 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  that  Carter  boy  ?  Why 
don't  you  call  him  Herbert  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  on  intimate  terms  with  him,"  said 
James. 

"  That  is  strange,  as  you  both  live  in  the  same 
village." 

!t  You  must  remember  that  there  is  some  difference 
in  our  social  positions,"  said  James,  with  a  haughty 
air. 


48  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  That  is  something  I  never  think  of,"  said  Tom, 
candidly.     "  I  am  a  genuine  republican." 

"  I  am  not,"  said  James.  "  I  should  like  to  live  in 
England,  where  they  have  noblemen." 

"  Not  unless  you  could  be  a  nobleman  yourself, 
I  suppose  ?  " 

"No;  of  course  not." 

By  this  time  Mr.  Spencer  and  Herbert  were 
bringing  the  trunk  into  the  front  entry. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  a  professional  gentleman  like 
your  father  would  like  to  be  seen  carrying  a  trunk 
across  the  street,"  said  James. 

"  Oh,  he  don't  care  for  that ;  nor  should  I,"  said 
Tom. 

Herbert  entered  the  room. 

"  Well,  Herbert,  what  luck?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  Better  than  I  expected,"  said  Herbert,  gayly. 
"What  do  you  say  to  that?  "  and  he  displayed  the 
gold  and  silver. 

"  How  much  is  it?  "  asked  James,  his  vanity  melt- 
ing under  the  influence  of  curiosity. 

"  Fifty-two  dollars." 
S      "  Capital !  "  said  Tom. 

"  It  isn't  much,"  said  James,  in  a  tone  of  de- 
preciation. 

"  I'll  bet  Herbert  is  richer  than  you,  James,"  said 
Tom,  in  a  lively  manner.  "  Can  you  show  as  much 
money  as  that  ?  " 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  49 

"  i  shall  be  a  rich  man  some  day,"  said  James, 
with  an  air  of  importance. 

"  Your  father  may  fail." 

"  The  moon  may  be  made  of  green  cheese,"  re- 
torted James,  loftily.  "  How  about  the  clothes? 
Are  you  going  to  show  them  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Herbert. 

"  A  parcel  of  rags,  I  suppose,"  said  James,  with  a 
sneer. 

"  Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,"  responded  Herbert, 
good-naturedly.  "  Still,  I  think  I  shall  hardly  ven- 
ture to  wear  any  of  them  without  alteration." 

"  I  wouldn't  wear  second-hand  clothes,"  re- 
marked James  Leech,  in  his  usual  amiable  tone. 

"  Perhaps  you  would  if  you  were  poor,"  said  Her- 
bert, quietly. 

"  But  I  am  not  poor." 

"  Fortunately  for  you." 

"  Then  you  won't  show  the  clothes  ?  I  suppose 
they  all  look  as  if  they  were  made  in  the  year 
one." 

"  For  our  forefather  Adam  ?  "  suggested  Tom, 
laughing.  "  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  old  gentle- 
man in  question  hadn't  clothes  enough  to  fill  a  trunk 
as  large  as  that." 

"  Probably  not,"  said  Herbert ;  "  he  had  no  uncle, 
you  know,  to  leave  any  to  him." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  your  money, 


5o     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

Carter?  "  asked  James,  whose  curiosity  got  the  bet- 
ter of  his  dignity  occasionally. 

"  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind  yet.  I  think  I 
shall  find  plenty  of  uses  for  it." 

"  What  would  you  do  with  it  if  you  had  it, 
James  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  I  can  have  more  if  I  want  to.  I  have  only  to 
ask  father." 

"  Then  you're  better  off  than  I.  Say,  father,  will 
you  give  me  fifty-two  dollars?  " 

"  When  you  are  twenty-one  I  may  do  it." 

"  You  see,"  said  Tom.  "  But  you  haven't  an- 
swered my  question.  What  would  you  do  with  the 
money  if  you  had  it?  " 

"  I  think  I  would  buy  a  new  rowboat;  there's  a 
pond  near  our  house." 

"  When  you  get  it  send  for  me,  and  I'll  help  you 
row." 

"  Very  well,"  said  James;  but  he  did  not  answer 
very  positively.  In  fact,  he  was  by  no  means  sure 
that  his  father  would  comply  with  his  request  for 
money,  although  it  suited  him  to  make  this  repre- 
sentation to  his  companions. 

Herbert  retired  early.  It  had  been  a  fatiguing 
day  for  him,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  rise  in  good 
season  the  next  day,  as  the  coach  left  Randolph  for 
Wrayburn  at  an  early  hour. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
Herbert's  return 

Mrs.  Carter  awaited  Herbert's  return  with  inter- 
est. She  felt  lonely  without  him,  for  he  had  never 
before  been  away  from  home  to  stay  overnight.  But 
there  was  a  feeling-  of  anticipation  besides.  Her 
hopes  of  a  legacy  were  not  very  strong,  but  of 
course  there  was  a  possibility  of  her  uncle's  having 
remembered  them  in  his  will. 

"  Even  if.  it  is  only  five  dollars,  it  will  be  wel- 
come," she  thought.  "  Where  people  are  so  poor  as 
we  are,  every  little  helps." 

She  sat  at  her  sewing  when  the  stage  stopped  be- 
fore the  door. 

"I'm  glad  he  rode  home,"  thought  the  widow; 
"  the  walk  both  ways  would  have  been  too  fati- 
guing, 

"  Z3ut  why  does  not  Herbert  come  in  at  once  ?  " 

He  had  gone  behind  the  coach,  and  the  driver  was 
helping  him  take  down  a  trunk. 

"  Where  did  he  get  it  ?  "  thought  his  mother,  in 
surprise. 

5* 


52     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  guess  you  can  get  it  into  the  house  yourself," 
she  heard  the  driver  say. 

'Yes,  I'll  manage  it;  you  needn't  wait,"  said 
Herbert. 

The  driver  cracked  his  whip,  and  the  lumbering' 
old  coach  drove  on. 

"  Oh,  there  you  are,  mother,"  said  Herbert,  look- 
ing toward  the  house  for  the  first  time.  "  I'll  be 
with  you  in  a  minute." 

And  he  began  to  draw  the  trunk  in  through  the 
front  gate. 

''  Where  did  you  get  that  trunk,  Herbert  ?  v  asked 
Mrs.  Carter. 

"  Oh,  it's  my  legacy,"  said  Herbert,  laughing. 
"  Here  it  is,"  and  he  lifted  it  up,  andlaid  it  down  in 
the  front  entry. 

"  What  is  inside  ?  "  asked  his  mother,  with  nat- 
ural curiosity. 

"  It  isn't  full  of  gold  and  silver,  mother,  so  don't 
raise  your  expectations  too  high.  It  contains  some 
clothes  of  Uncle  Herbert,  out  of  which  you  can  get 
some  for  me." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  you  need  some  new 
clothes.     Well,  we  were  not  forgotten  after  all." 

"  You  don't  seem  disappointed,  mother." 

"  I  might  have  wished  for  a  little  money  besides, 
Herbert ;  but  beggars  cannot  be  choosers." 

"  But  sometimes  they  get  what  they  wish  for. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     53 

Uncle  Herbert  left  you  a  legacy  of  a  hundred  dol- 
lars." 

"  A  hundred  dollars !  "  said  Mrs.  Carter,  brightly. 
"  Why,  that  will  be  quite  a  help  for  us.  Was  it  left 
to  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  to  you." 

"  It  was  kind  in  your  uncle.  My  legacy  is  more 
than  yours,  Herbert." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  mother;  look  here!  " 

And  Herbert  displayed  his  gold  and  silver. 

"  Here  are  fifty-two  dollars  that  I  found  in  the 
pocket  of  a  vest.  It  belongs  to  me,  for  the  will  says 
expressly  that  I  am  to  have  the  trunk  and  all  it  con- 
tains." 

"  I  am  really  glad,"  said  his  mother,  joyfully. 
"  We  are  more  fortunate  than  I  expected.  Sit  down 
and  tell  me  all  about  it.  Who  got  the  bulk  of  the 
property?  " 

"  None  of  the  relations.  It  is  bequeathed  to  the 
town  of  Randolph,  to  found  a  high  school,  to  be 
called  the  Carter  School." 

"  Well,  it  will  do  good,  at  any  rate.  Didn't  the 
other  relations  receive  legacies  ?  " 

"  Small  ones ;  but  they  didn't  seem  very  well  satis- 
fied. Do  you  know  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Josiah  Pinker- 
ton?" 

"  Slightly,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  smiling.  "  Were 
they  there  ?  " 


54  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  She  was,  and  he  was  in  attendance  upon  her. 
She  didn't  give  him  a  chance  to  say  much." 

"  I  have  always  heard  she  kept  him  in  good  sub- 
jection.    How  did  they  fare?  " 

"  They  and  their  two  children  received  a  hundred 
dollars  apiece.  She  was  mad  and  wanted  to  break 
the  will.  Then  there  was  a  Mr.  Granger,  a  farmer, 
who  got  the  same;  and  Cornelius  Dixon,  also." 

"  I  hope  Aunt  Nancy  fared  better.  She  is  the 
best  of  them  all." 

"  She  is  allowed  to  occupy  the  house,  rent  free, 
and  is  to  have  an  income  of  two  hundred  dollars  a 
year  as  long  as  she  lives." 

"  I  am  really  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Mrs.  Carter, 
with  emphasis.  "  She  deserves  all  her  good  fortune. 
One  of  the  best  things  her  brother  did  in  life  was  to 
allow  her  such  an  income  as  to  keep  her  independent 
of  public  charity;  I  feared  he  would  forget  to  pro- 
vide for  her." 

She  seems  a  good  old  lady.     She  asked  me  to 
invite  you  to  call  and  see  her." 

"  I  should  like  to  do  so,  and  if  I  ever  have  occasion 
to  go  to  Randolph  I  will  certainly  do  so." 

"  Now,  mother,"  said  Herbert,  when  he  had  an- 
swered his  mother's  questions,  "  I  want  you  to  take 
tiiis  money,  and  use  it  as  you  need." 

"  But,  Herbert,  it  was  left  to  you." 

"  And  if  you  use  it  I  shall  receive  my  share  of  it. 


HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY  55 

By  the  way,  your  money  will  be  sent  you  next  week ; 
so  Mr.  Spencer  assured  me." 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Spencer  ?  " 

"  The  lawyer  who  read  the  will.  He  was  very 
kind  to  me.  It  was  at  his  home  I  spent  the  night. 
I  got  acquainted  with  his  son  Tom,  a  fine  fellow. 
I  met  also  James  Leech,  whom  I  cannot  compliment 
so  highly.     He  was  visiting  Tom." 

"  I  never  thought  him  an  agreeable  boy." 

"  Nor  anyone  else,  I  expect.  He  appears  to  think 
he  can  put  on  airs,  and  expects  everybody  to  bow 
down  to  him  because  his  father  happens  to  be  a  rich 
man." 

"  I  hope  you  didn't  quarrel  with  him,"  said  Mrs. 
Carter,  apprehensively. 

"  Oh,  no;  he  sneered  at  me,  as  usual,  and  drew  a 
ridiculous  picture  of  my  appearance  with  my  uncle's 
clothes  on." 

"  Do  you  mind  what  he  says?  "  asked  his  mother, 
anxiously. 

"A  little,"  said  Herbert;  "but  I  can  stand  it  if 
he  doesn't  go  too  far." 

"  He  has  an  unhappy  nature.  I  think  his  father 
must  have  been  somewhat  like  him  when  he  was 
young." 

"  So  do  I.  He  feels  just  as  important  as  James. 
I  like  to  see  him  strut  round,  as  if  he  owned  the 
whole  village." 


56     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  He  does  own  more  of  it  than  anyone  else. 
Among  the  rest,  he  owns  our  house,  in  part." 

"  You  mean  he  has  a  mortgage  on  it,  mother?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Herbert." 

"  How  much  do  you  consider  the  whole  worth  ?  :' 
asked  our  hero,  thoughtfully. 

"  It  cost  your  father  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 
That  is,  the  land — nearly  an  acre — cost  three  "hun- 
dred dollars,  and  the  house,  to  build,  twelve  hun- 
dred." 

"Would  it  sell  for  that?" 

"  Not  if  a  sale  were  forced ;  but,  if  anybody  wanted 
it,  fifteen  hundred  dollars  would  not  be  too  much  to 
pay." 

"  I  wish  the  mortgage  were  paid." 

"  So  do  I,  my  son ;  but  we  are  not  very  likely  to  be 
able  to  pay  it." 

"  How  fine  it  would  have  been  if  Uncle  Herbert 
had  left  us,  say  eight  hundred  dollars,  so  that  we 
might  have  paid  it  up,  and  still  have  had  a  little  left 
for  immediate  use." 

"  Yes,  Herbert,  it  would  have  made  us  feel  quite 
independent,  but  it  isn't  best  speculating  on  what 
might  have  been.  It  is  better  to  do  the  best  we  can 
with  what  we  really  have." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  right,  mother ;  but  it  is  pleas- 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  57 

.ant  to  dream  of  good  fortune,  even  if  we  know  it  is 
out  of  reach." 

"  The  trouble  is,  our  dreaming  often  interferes 
with  our  working." 

"  It  shan't  interfere  with  mine.  I've  got  some- 
thing to  work  for." 

"  Do  you  refer  to  anything .  in  particular,  Her- 
bert?" 

"  Yes.  I  want  to  pay  off  this  mortgage,"  an- 
swered Herbert,  manfully. 

"  Some  day,  when  you  are  a  man,  you  may  be 
able ;  but  the  time  is  too  far  off  to  spend  much  time 
upon  it  at  present." 

Herbert  had  moved  to  the  window  as  the  conver- 
sation went  on.  Suddenly  he  called  to  his  mother : 
"  Look,  mother,  there  is  Squire  Leech  riding  up. 
He  is  pointing  out  our  house  to  the  man  that  is  rid- 
ing with  him.     Do  you  know  who  it  is  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  Mr.  Banks,  his  new  superintendent. 
He  has  just  come  into  the  village." 

"  I  wonder  why  he  pointed  at  our  house?  " 

"  Probably  he  was  telling  him  that  he  had  a  mort- 
gage on  it." 

"  When  does  the  interest  come  due  on  the  mort- 
gage ?  " 

"  Next  week.  I  had  only  five  dollars  laid  by  to 
meet  it,  but  thanks  to  my  legacy,  I  shall  have  no 
trouble  in  the  matter." 


58     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  If  you  couldn't  pay  the  interest,  could  the  squire 
foreclose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that's  the  law,  I  believe." 

"  And  he  would  take  advantage  of  it.  But  he 
never  shall,  if  I  can  prevent  it." 


CHAPTER  IX 

A    BUSINESS    CONFIDENCE    ■ 

Squire  Leech  lived  in  a  large,  square,  white 
house,  situated  on  an  eminence  some  way  back  from 
the  street.  It  had  bay  windows  on  either  side  of  the 
front  door,  a  gravel  walk,  bordered  with  flowers, 
leading  to  the  gate,  a  small  summerhouse  on  the 
lawn,  and  altogether  was  much  the  handsomest  resi- 
dence in  the  village.  Three  years  before,  the  house, 
or  at  all  events,  the  principal  rooms,  had  been  newly 
furnished  from  the  city.  No  wonder  the  squire  and 
all  the  family  held  up  their  heads,  and  regarded 
themselves  as  belonging  to  the  aristocracy. 

In  a  back  room,  used  partly  as  a  sitting  room, 
partly  as  an  office,  the  great  man  and  his  new  super- 
intendent, Amos  Banks,  were  sitting,  the  evening 
previous  to  Herbert's  return  home.  It  may  be  asked 
why  Squire  Leech  needed  a  superintendent.  To  this 
I  answer  that  his  property,  besides  the  home  farm, 
included  two  outlying  farms,  which  he  preferred  to 
carry  on  himself  rather  than  let  to  tenants.  Besides, 
he  had  stocks  and  bonds,  to  which  he  himself  at- 
tended.   But  the  farms  required  more  attention  than 

59 


6o     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

he  individually  was  willing  to  bestow.  Accordingly 
he  employed  a  competent  man;  who  had  the  general 
supervision  of  them.  His  former  superintendent 
having  emigrated  to  the  West,  he  had  engaged  Mr. 
Banks,  who  had  been  recommended  to  him  for  the 
charge.  Banks  came  from  a  town  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant, and  had  never  lived  in  Wrayburn  before.  He 
had  just  entered  upon  his  duties,  and  was  talking 
over  business  matters  with  the  squire. 

;' You  will  occupy  the  house  on  the  Ross  farm," 
said  Squire  Leech.  "  I  think  you  will  find  it  com- 
fortable. I  have  always  reserved  it  for  my  superin- 
tendent." 

"  There  is  a  house  on  the  other  farm,  I  suppose," 
said  Banks. 

"Yes;  but  that  is  occupied  by  a  family  already. 
I  don't  rent  the  farm,  that  is,  except  about  half  an 
acre  of  land  for  a  kitchen  garden.  That  I  have 
prepared  to  cultivate  myself." 

"  Precisely,"  said  the  superintendent.  "  I  will 
tell  you  why  I  inquired.  You  tell  me  there  will  be 
need  of  another  permanent  farm  workman.  Now  I 
know  an  excellent  man — in  fact,  he  is  a  cousin  of 
my  own — who  would  be  glad  to  accept  the  place." 

"  Very  well.  I  have  no  objection  to  your  engag- 
ing him,  since  you  vouch  for  him." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  he  is  a  faithful  and  industrious  man, 
and  he  will  be  willing  to  do  work  for  moderate 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     61 

wages.  Indeed,  he  cares  more  for  a  permanent 
place  than  high  pay.  Where  he  is  now,  he  is  liable 
to  be  idle  for  some  months  in  the  year." 

'■-  Is  he  a  family  man?  " 

"  Yes;  he  has  two  young  children." 

"  Of  course  he  will  move  to  Wrayburn." 

"  Yes ;  if  he  can  get  a  suitable  house.  In  fact, 
that  was  what  I  was  coming  at.  I  thought  of  your 
other  house,  but  you  say  that  is  already  occupied." 

"  Yes ;  and  the  family  has  occupied  it  for  several 
years.     I  should  not  like  to  dislodge  them." 

"  Do  you  know  any  other  small  house  my  cousin 
could  rent?  " 

Squire  Leech  reflected. 

:<  The  fact  is,"  he  said  after  a  pause,  "  there  has 
not  been  much  building  going  on  in  Wrayburn  for 
several  years,  and  it  is  hard  to  find  a  vacant  house." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that.  I  am  afraid  it  may  inter- 
fere with  Brown's  coming." 

"  There  is  one  house,  I  think,  that  would  just  suit 
your  cousin,"  said  Squire  Leech,  slowly. 

"Where  is  it?" 

"  It  is  now  occupied  by  the  widow  Carter  and  her 
son." 

"  Is  she  going  to  move  ?  " 

"  She  wouldn't  like  to." 

"Then  how  will  that  help  us?  Who  owns  the 
"house?  " 


62     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  She  does ;  that  is,  nominally.  I  hold  a  mort- 
gage on  the  place  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars, which  is  more  than  half  the  market  value." 

"  Then  it  may  eventually  fall  into  your  hands?  " 

"  Very  probably.  Between  ourselves,  I  think  it 
probable  that  she  will  fail  to  be  ready  with  the  semi- 
annual interest,  which  comes  due  next  week.  She  is 
quite  poor — has  nothing  but  this  property — and  has 
to  sew  for  a  living,  or  braid  straw,  neither  of  which 
pays  well." 

"  Suppose  she  is  not  ready  with  the  interest,  do 
you  propose  to  foreclose?  " 

"  I  think  I  shall.  I  will  allow  her  three  or  four 
hundred  dollars  for  her  share  of  the  property,  and 
that  will  be  the  best  thing  she  can  do,  in  my  opin- 
ion." 

Whether  or  not  it  would  be  the  best  thing  for 
Mrs.  Carter,  it  certainly  wouldn't  be  a  bad  specula- 
tion for  the  squire,  since  the  place,  as  already  stated, 
was  worth  fully  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  How  a 
rich  man  can  deliberately  plot  to  defraud  a  poor 
woman  of  a  portion  of  her  small  property,  you  and 
I,  my  young  reader,  may  find  it  hard  to  understand. 
Unfortunately  there  are  too  many  cases  in  real  life 
where  just  such  things  happen,  so  that  there  really 
seems  to  be  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  the  old  adage 
that  prosperity  hardens  the  heart. 

If  Mr.  Banks  had  been  a  just  or  kind-hearted 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     63 

man,  he  would  not  have  encouraged  his  employer  in 
the  plan  he  had  just  broached;  but  he  was  selfish, 
and  thought  he  saw  in  it  an  easy  solution  of  the 
difficulty  which  he  had  met  with  in  securing  a  house 
for  his  cousin.  He  did  not  know  Mrs.  Carter,  and 
felt  no  particular  interest  in  the  question  what  was 
to  become  of  her  if  she  was  ejected  from  her  house. 
No  doubt  she  would  find  a  home  somewhere.  At 
any  rate,  it  was  not  his  business. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  will  be  an  excellent  plan," 
he  said,  with  satisfaction.  "  How  soon  can  we  find 
out  about  it  ?  " 

"  Next  week — Tuesday.  It  is  then  that  the  in- 
terest comes  due." 

"  Suppose  she  is  ready  to  pay  the  interest,  what 
then?" 

"  Then  I  will  make  her  an  offer  for  the  place,  and 
represent,  to  her  that  it  will  be  the  better  plan  for 
her  to  part  with  it,  and  so  escape  the  payment  of 
interest.  She  has  to  pay  forty-five  dollars  a  3^ear, 
and  that  is  a  great  drain  upon  one  who  earns  no 
more  than  she  does." 

"I  think  you  said  she  had  a  son;  does  he  earn: 
anything?     Or  perhaps  he  isn't  old  enough." 

'Yes,  he  is  thirteen  or  fourteen;  still,  there  isn't 
much  in  a  small  village  like  this  for  a  boy  to  do. 
He  is  attending  school,  I  believe." 

"  Then  in  one  way  or  another,  you  think  there 


64     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

is  a  good  chance  of  our  obtaining  the  house,"  said 
the  superintendent,   with   satisfaction. 

"Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  How  would  it  do  to  go  around  and  speak  to  the 
widow  about  it  beforehand?  I  could  then  write  to 
Brown.'' 

"  As  to  that,  she  may  be  very  particular  to  retain 
the  house,  and  even  if  she  is  not  provided  with  the 
money,  succeed  in  borrowing  enough.  Now,  my 
idea  is  to  say  nothing  about  it  till  Tuesday.  She 
may  depend  upon  my  waiting  a  few  days.  That  I 
shall  not  do.  If  the  money  is  not  forthcoming  I 
will  foreclose  at  once,  without  giving  her  time  to 
arrange  for  the  money." 

The  superintendent  nodded. 

''  A  very  shrewd  plan,  Squire  Leech,"  he  said. 
"  By  the  way,  where  is  the  house  situated  ?  " 

"  Only  a  furlong  up  the  road.  It  is  on  the  oppo-' 
site  side  of  the  way." 

"  I  think  I  remember  it.  There  is  some  land 
connected  with  it,  isn't  there?" 

"  Nearly  an  acre.  The  house  is  small,  but  neat. 
In  fact,  for  a  small  place,  I  consider  it  quite  desir- 
able. To-morrow  we  will  ride  by  it,  and  you  can 
take  more  particular  notice." 

They  did  ride  by,  as  we  know,  and  Squire  Leech 
pointed  it  out  to  his  superintendent.  Herbert  no- 
ticed this,  but  he  did  not  know  that  the  two  men 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     65 

had  formed  a  scheme  for  turning  his  mother  and 
himself  out  of  their  comfortable  home,  and  defraud- 
ing his  mother  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the  small 
property  which  his  father  had  left.  Had  he  known 
this,  it  would  have  filled  him  with  indignation,  and 
he  would  have  felt  that  even  poverty  is  no  absolute 
safeguard  against  the  selfish  schemes  of  the  mer- 
cenary and  the  rapacious. 


CHAPTER  X 

SQUIRE  LEECH  IS  BAFFLED 

Tuesday  arrived,  but  as  yet  the  check  from  Mr. 
Spencer  had  not  been  received. 

"  Never  mind,  mother,"  said  Herbert,  "  you  will 
get  it  before  the  end  of  the  week." 

"  But  I  shall  need  it  to  pay  the  interest  to  Squire 
Leech.     He  will  call  for  it  to-day." 

"  How  much  is  it  ?  " 

"  Twenty-two  dollars  and  a  half." 

"  You  forget  the  gold  I  handed  you  last  week." 

"I  don't  like  to  use  it,  Herbert;  I  want  you  to 
use  it  for  yourself." 

"  I  am  as  much  interested  in  paying  the  interest 
as  you,  mother.     Don't  I  occupy  the  house  ?  " 

Seeing  that  Herbert  was  in  earnest,  Mrs.  Carter 
overcame  her  scruples,  and  laid  aside  enough  of  the 
money  to  make  up  the  amount  required. 

/ About  five  minutes  of  twelve  Squire  Leech  was 
seen  advancing  to  the  front  door  with  slow,  pompous 
steps. 

"  There  he  comes,  mother'  "  said  Herbert.  "  I'll 
open  the  door." 

fyf- 


HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY  67 

"Is  your  mother  at  home,  Herbert?"  asked  the 
squire,  in  a  dignified  tone. 

"  Yes,  sir.     Won't  you  walk  in?  " 

"  Ahem,  yes !  I  think  I  will.  I  have  a  little 
matter  of  business  with  her." 

Squire  Leech  entered  the  small  sitting  room, 
which  seemed  uncomfortably  full  when  he  was  in 
it — not  on  account  of  his  size,  but  because  he  seemed 
so  swollen  with  a  sense  of  his  own  importance  as 
to  convey  the  idea  that  he  was  cramped  for  space — 
very  much  like  an  owl  in  the  cage  of  a  canary. 

"  Good-morning,  Squire  Leech,"  said  the  widow. 

"  Good-morning,  ma'am.  I  apprehend  you  know 
my  errand." 

"I  suppose  you  come  for  the  interest,  Squire 
Leech." 

"  You  are  quite  right.  Of  course  you  are  pre- 
pared to  pay  it." 

Though  the  squire  said  "  of  course,"  he  by  no 
means  expected  that  it  would  be  ready,  nor,  for  rea- 
sons which  we  know,  did  he  desire  it.  He  was 
rather  discomfited,  therefore,  when  Mrs.  Carter 
said:  "  Did  you  bring  a  receipt  with  you,  squire?  " 

"  A  receipt  in  full  ?  "  queried  the  great  man. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  pay  the  whole  to-day?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

This  ought  to  have  been  gratifying  intelligence, 


68     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

I 

but   it   was   not.      The   squire   looked    quite   crest- 
fallen. 

"  No,  I  didn't  bring  a  receipt,"  he  said,  slowly. 

"  I'll  bring  writing  materials,"  said  Herbert, 
promptly. 

He  left  the  room,  but  appeared  almost  instantly 
with  pen,  ink,  and  paper. 

The  squire  sat  down  to  the  table  with  a  disap- 
pointed air,  and  slowly  wrote  the  required  docu- 
ment. 

"  He  seems  sorry  to  receive  the  money,"  thought 
Herbert,  who  was  quick  in  reading  the  faces  of 
others.  "I  wonder  why?"  and  he  gazed  at  the 
visitor  in  some  perplexity. 

The  squire  received  the  money,  and  handed  the 
widow  the  receipt.  Still  he  did  not  seem  inclined 
to  go.  He  was  thinking  how  to  broach  the  subject 
of  selling  the  house. 

".Mrs.  Carter,"  he  began,  "  forty-five  dollars  a 
year  seems  a  good  deal  for  you  to  pay." 

"  Yes,  it  is  considerable,"  said  the  widow,  sur- 
prised. Could  it  be  that  he  intended  to  reduce  the 
interest?  That  did  not  seem  like  him. 
>  "  For  one  in  your  circumstances  I  mean,  of 
course.  You've  got  to  earn  your  own  living,  and 
your  son's." 

"  Herbert  does  his  share,"  said  his  mother. 
"  When  lie  is  older  I  shall  feel  quite  easy." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     69 

■'  But  that  time  is  a  good  way  off.  I've  been 
thinking  of  your  case,  Mrs.  Carter,  and  as  a  man  of 
business  I  see  my  way  clear  to  offer  you  a  little 
advice." 

"  I  shall  be  thankful  for  any  advice,  squire,"  said 
the  widow,  meekly.  "  Of  course  your  judgment  in 
business  matters  is  much  better  than  mine." 

Herbert  listened  to  this  conversation  with  eager 
interest.     What  could  the  squire  mean  to  advise  ? 

"  I've  been  thinking,"  said  the  squire,  deliberately, 
"  that  it  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to  sell  this 
house." 

"To  sell  it!"  repeated  Mrs.  Carter,  in  surprise. 
"  But  where  could  I  live?  " 

"  You  might  hire  a  couple  of  rooms  for  yourself 
and'  Herbert." 

"I  don't  ^see  how  mother  would  gain  anything," 
interrupted  Herbert.    "  She  would  have  to  pay  rent." 

"  Very  true,  but  she  would  get  some  money  down 
for  the  house,  over  and  above  the  mortgage." 

"  I  don't  know  as  anybody  would  want  to  buy  it," 
said  Mrs.  Carter. 

"  I  will  take  it  off  your  hands,  simply  to  oblige 
you,"  said  the  squire  with  an  air  of  extraordinary 
consideration.  "  I  don't  know  that  it  would  be  of 
any  particular  use  to  me.  I  might  not  get  a  tenant. 
Still  I  am  better  able  to  take  the  risk  than  you  are 
to  keep  it." 


7©     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"How  much  would  you  be  willing  to  pay  for 
it?"  asked  Herbert,  who  somehow  suspected  that 
the  squire  was  more  selfish  than  benevolent  in  the 
plan  he  had  broached. 

"  Why,"  said  Squire  Leech,  assuming  a  medita- 
tive look,  "  over  and  above  the  mortgage  I  would 
be  willing  to  pay  three  hundred  dollars  cash." 

"  That  would  make  the  value  of  the  place  only 
ten  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,"  said  Herbert. 

"  Well,  you  don't  consider  it  worth  any  more 
than  that,  do  you?  " 

"  My  husband  considered  it  worth  fifteen  hundred 
dollars,"  said  the  widow.     "  It  cost  him  that." 

The  squire  laughed  heartily.  "  Really,  my  dear 
madam,  that  is  utterly  preposterous.  Fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars!     Why,  that  is  ridiculous." 

"  It  cost  that,"  said  Herbert,  sturdily. 

"  I  very  much  doubt  it,"  said  the  squire.  "  I 
don't  believe  it  cost  a  cent  over  twelve  hundred  dol- 
lars." 

"  I  have  my  husband's  papers  to  show  that  it  cost 
fifteen  hundred,"  said  the  widow. 

"  Then  all  I  have  to  say  is,  he  was  outrageously 
cheated,"  said  the  squire.  "  I  believe  I  know  as 
much  about  real  estate  as  any  man  in  town,"  he  pro- 
ceeded, pompously.  "  Indeed,  I  own  more  than  any 
other  man.  I  assure  you,  on  my  word,  I  have 
offered  you  a  very  good  price." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     7* 

"  I  would  rather  not  sell,"  said  the  widow,  gently, 
but  decidedly. 

"  I  will  increase  my  offer  to  eleven  hundred,  in- 
cluding- the  mortgage,"  said  the  squire,  who  saw  the 
prize  slipping  through  his  fingers,  and  felt  it  neces- 
sary to  bid  higher.  "  Eleven  hundred  dollars. 
That's  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  cash !  " 

"  Mother,  I  am  sure  you  won't  think  of  selling 
for  any  such  sum,"  expostulated  Herbert. 

"  No,"  said  his  mother,  "  I  don't  want  to  sell." 

"  You  stand  very  much  in  your  own  light, 
ma'am,"  said  the  squire,  impatiently;  "and  you, 
Herbert,  are  too  young  to  offer  any  advice  on  such 
a  subject." 

**T  don't  see  why,"  said  Herbert,  independently. 
"  I  ought  to  feel  interested  in  such  a  matter." 

"  You  are  a  boy,  and  have  no  judgment.  Boys 
of  your  age  should  be  seen  and  not  heard,"  said  the 
squire,  sternly. 

"  I  can  see  what  is  best  for  my  mother's  interest," 
said  Herbert. 

"  I  decline  to  discuss  the  matter  with  you.  I 
consider  your  interference  impertinent,"  said  the 
squire,  becoming  angry. 

"  Oh,  Herbert ! "  said  his  mother,  who  was  a 
little  in  awe  of  the  great  man  of  the  village,  "  be 
respectful  to  Squire  Leech." 

"  I  mean  to  be,"  said  Herbert,  "  but  I'm  sure  he's 


72     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

wrong  in  thinking  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  this 
matter." 

"  Reflect  again,  Mrs.  Carter,"  persisted  the  squire, 
"  on  the  advantages  of  my  proposal.  Think  how 
comfortable  you  would  feel  in  knowing  that  you  had 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  on  interest  in  the 
savings  bank.  I  admit  that  I  may  not  offer  you 
quite  as  much  as  the  place  cost,  but  houses  never 
fetch  their  first  cost.  I've  made  you  a  very  fair 
offer,  ma'am,  very  fair." 

"  I  won't  say  anything  as  to  that,  Squire  Leech, 
but  this  house  my  poor  husband  built — in  this  house 
I  have  passed  many  happy  years — and  while  we  can 
keep  it,  Herbert  and  I,  we  will.  There  is  no  other 
place  in  town  that  would  seem  so  much  like  home." 

"  This  is  all  very  sentimental,  ma'am ;  but,  per- 
mit me  to  say,  very  ridiculous,"  said  the  impatient 
squire,  rising  to  go.  "  I'll  give  you  time  to  think 
over  what  I  have  said,  and  I'll  call  again." 

"  I'll  have  that  place  yet,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self, as  he  left  the  cottage.  "  I  won't  be  balked  by 
an  obstinate  woman  and  an  impertinent  boy." 


CHAPTER  XI 


SICKNESS 


Squire  Leech  was  reluctant  to  give  up  his  in- 
tended purchase.  He  had  an  idea  that  Herbert 
stood  in  the  way,  and  he  contrived  to  call  upon  the 
widow  in  the  course  of  the  following  week,  at  a  time 
when  he  knew  our  hero  was  away  from  home.  ■ 

But  he  failed  again. 

"  I'm  very  sorry  to  go  contrary  to  your  advice, 
Squire  Leech,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  deprecatingly, 
"  but  I  can't  give  up  my  home.  Herbert,  too,  would 
be  very  much  disappointed." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  allow  yourself  to  be  guided 
by  the  judgment  of  an  inexperienced  boy,  ma'am," 
said  the  squire,  mortified. 

"  I  think  I  ought  to  consult  my  boy's  wishes," 
said  the  widow. 

"  He  doesn't  know  what  is  best  for  him." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  feel  with  him  at  present. 
I'm  sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Squire  Leech." 

"  As  to  that,  ma'am,  I  have  no  interest  in  the 
matter.     I  was  only  advising  it  for  your  good." 

"  I'm  very  much  obliged  to  you." 
73 


74     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  In  fact,  as  your  means  are  limited,  I  will 
stretch  a  point  and  offer  you  fifty  dollars  more.  I 
shouldn't  be  at  all  sure  of  getting  my  money  back." 

"  Thank  you;  but  I  think  we'll  keep  the  house  for 
the  present.  If  I  should  find  we  couldn't  afford  it, 
I  will  let  you  know." 

"  I  don't  agree  to  keep  to  my  offer  after  this 
week.  '  Now  or  never  '  is  my  motto.  I  can  draw 
the  papers  right  out." 

The  widow  shook  her  head,  and  reiterated  in 
gentle  tones  her  refusal.  Squire  Leech  was  pro- 
voked, and  did  not  hide  his  feeling.  As  he  only 
proposed  to  take  the  house  to  oblige  her,  as  he  rep- 
resented, Mrs.  Carter  was  surprised  at  his  display 
of  feeling.  She  was  not  a  shrewd  woman,  and  it 
did  not  occur  to  her  that  he  had  any  selfish  object 
in  view  in  his  advice. 

"  I  didn't  succeed,  Mr.  Banks,"  said  the  squire 
to  his  superintendent.  "  That  Carter  woman  is 
dreadfully  obstinate.  Between  ourselves,  I  judge 
it's  her  son  that  influences  her." 

"  I  think  I  have  seen  him — a  boy  of  fourteen  or 
fifteen." 

"  Yes,  he's  a  very  self-willed  boy." 

"  You  said  you  thought  you  would  be  able  to 
foreclose,  on  account  of  their  failing  to  pay  the  in- 
terest." 

"  They  paid  it.     I  was  surprised  at  their  prompt- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     75 

xiess,  till  I  learned  from  my  son  that  they  had  re- 
ceived a  legacy  of  a  hundred  dollars  or  so  from  a 
relative." 

"  That  won't  last  always." 

"  No,  the  time  will  come  when  I  can  get  the  place 
on  my  own  terms.     I  am  determined  to  have  it." 

"  Then  Brown  will  have  to  find  a  different  house." 

"  Yes ;  I  have  heard  of  an  old  house  that  will  do 
temporarily,  till  I  get  the  widow  Carter's.  It's  a 
little  out  of  the  village,  and  is  in  rather  a  dilapidated 
condition,  but  it  will  do  for  a  few  months  or  a  year, 
and  that  will  fetch  round  the  Carters." 

The  house  referred  to  was  secured,  and  the  super- 
intendent's cousin  moved  to  Wrayburn.  But  neither 
the  squire  nor  Mr.  Banks  forgave  Herbert  for  his 
assumed  instrumentality  in  thwarting  their  plans. 

The  next  winter  Mrs.  Carter  was  unfortunate 
enough  to  be  laid  up  with  severe  sickness  from 
December  to  March.  Herbert  devoted  himself  to 
her  comfort,  and  performed  nearly  all  his  mother's 
customary  work.  Washing  and  ironing,  however, 
he  was  obliged  to  have  done.  When  the  sickness 
commenced,  the  hundred  dollars  left  by  his  uncle 
was  unbroken,  but  for  three  months  neither  he  nor, 
of  course,  his  mother,  was  able  to  earn  anything  of 
any  amount,  while  their  expenses  were  necessarily 
increased. 

At  the  opening  of  April,  Herbert  had  the  satis- 


76     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

faction  of  seeing  his  mother,  fully  recovered,  assume 
her  usual  place  in  the  little  household.  This  was 
pleasant,  but  there  was  a  drawback  to  his  satisfac- 
tion. The  legacy  had  dwindled  to  twenty-five  dol- 
lars. 

He  reported  this  to  his  mother. 

"  How  unlucky  that  I  should  have  been  sick  so 
long,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  sighing. 

"  How  lucky  we  had  the  legacy  to  fall  back  upon,'* 
said  Herbert. 

"  I  don't  know  how  we  could  have  got  along  with- 
out that,  truly." 

"  Mother,  I  must  look  about  for  work.  I  ought 
to  be  earning  four  or  five  dollars  a  week  at  my 
age." 

"  You  are  only  fifteen." 

"  But  I  am  stout  and  strong  of  my  age.  I  shall 
soon  be  a  man.  Don't  you  see  my  mustache  com- 
ing, mother?  "  said  Herbert,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Not  very  distinctly;  but  perhaps  my  eyesight  is 
growing  poor,"  answered  his  mother,  smiling. 

"  The  trouble  is,"  said  Herbert,  thoughtfully, 
"  there  is  very  little  chance  of  work  in  this  town.'' 

"  I  wonder  whether  Squire  Leech  wouldn't  hire 
you  through  the  spring  and  summer  on  one  of  his 
2i  ms.     I  heard  he  was  going  to  hire  a  boy." 

"  I  am  not  sure  whether  he  would  be  willing  to 
hire  me,  however  much  he  wanted  a  boy.'' 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  77 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  He  don't  seem  to  like  me,  nor  does  Mr.  Banks 
like  me." 

"What  can  they  have  against  you?  I  thought 
everybody  liked  you." 

"  That's  because  you  are  my  mother,  but  the 
squire  doesn't  feel  maternal  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned. I  didn't  understand  it  at  first,  but  now  I 
do." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  You  remember  the  squire  tried  hard  to  get  you 
to  sell  this  place." 

"  That  was  last  year." 

"  And  you  wouldn't  sell.  That  is  why  he  is  angry 
with  both  of  us." 

"  But  I  don't  understand  why  he  should  be,"  said 
the  widow,  innocently.  "  He  said  he  would  take  it 
only  as  a  favor  to  me." 

"  That  was  all  '  gammon.'  Excuse  the  word, 
which  isn't  very  elegant,  I  admit,  but  it's  the  right 
word  for  all  that.  The  squire  wanted  the  place 
very  much." 

"What  could  he  do  with  it?  He  couldn't  live 
in  it  himself." 

"Not  much.  I  can  imagine  the  look  of  disgust 
James'  face  would  wear  at  the  idea  of  such  a  thing. 
He  wanted  it  for  Nahum  Brown,  who  lives  in  the 
old  house  up  the  road.     You  know  Brown,  who  is 


78     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

a  cousin  of  Mr.  Banks,  the  superintendent,  and  he  is 
very  anxious  to  get  hold  of  our  house." 

"  How  did  you  learn  all  this,  Herbert?  I  never 
knew  it  before." 

"  Tom  Banks  let  it  out  one  day." 

"■  I  don't  see  how  the  squire  can  dislike  us  for 
wanting  to  stay  in  our  old  home." 

"  There  are  a  good  many  things  you  don't  under- 
stand— about  selfish  men — mother.  That  is  why 
I  am  afraid  it  won't  be  much  use  to  ask  the  squire 
for  employment." 

"  You  may  be  mistaken  about  his  feelings,  Her- 
bert." 

"  At  any  rate,  I'll  go  to  him,  if  I  can't  find  em- 
ployment anywhere  else  in  the  village." 

"  I  wish  you  would,  that  is,  if  you  don't  think 
farm  work  will  be  too  hard  for  you." 
'     "  I'll  risk  that." 

In  pursuance  of  this  promise,  Herbert,  after  as- 
certaining that  there  was  no  work  to  be  had  any- 
where else  in  the  village,  called  one  fine  morning 
at  the  imposing  residence  of  Squire  Leech. 

James  was  in  the  yard,  at  work  on  a  kite. 

"  Have  you  come  to  see  me?  "  said  James,  super- 
ciliously. 

"  No ;  I  wanted  to  see  your  father." 

"What  about?" 

Herbert  was  about  to  answer  "  on  business,"  but 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     79 

it  occurred  to  him  that  it  would  be  better  policy  to 
keep  on  friendly  terms  with  James,  and  he  said :  "  T 
am  looking  for  work,  and  I  thought  he  might  have 
some  for  me. 

"  Perhaps  so,"  said  James,  patronizingly.  "  Of 
course,  one  in  your  position  must  work  for  a  living." 

"  Don't  you  expect  to  work?  "  asked  Herbert,  in 
.some  curiosity. 

"  Not  with  my  hands,  of  course,"  said  James. 
"  I  may  study  some  genteel  profession,  such  as  law." 

"  I  am  too  poor  to  be  genteel,"  said  Herbert, 
amused. 

"  Of  course.  You  will  probably  be  a  day  la- 
borer." 

"  I  hope  to  rise  to  something  better  in  time,"  said 
Herbert.  "  For  the  present  I  shall  be  glad  to  work 
by  the  day,  or  the  month,  if  your  father  will  engage 
me." 

"  I  think  my  father  is  at  home ;  you  can  ring  and 
see,"  said  James,  who  could  be  kind  to  one  who  was 
willing  to  acknowledge  his  inferiority. 

Herbert  rang  the  bell,  and  was  ushered  into  the 
presence  of  Squire  Leech,  who  was  examining  some 
papers  in  the  back  parlor. 


CHAPTER  XII 

"  POOR    AND    PROUD  " 

"  Good-morning,  Squire  Leech,"  said  Herbert, 
politely. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  the  squire,  jumping-  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  Carters  had  made  up  their 
minds  to  sell  their  place.  "  Do  you  wish  to  see 
me?" 

:'  Yes,  sir;  I  hope  I  don't  interrupt  you." 

"Go  on,"  said  the  squire,  waving  his  hand.  "I 
am  busy,  to  be  sure,  but  I  can  give  you  a  few  min- 
utes." 

He  resolved  to  take  advantage  of  Mrs.  Carter's 
necessities,  and  make  a  smaller  offer  for  the  place. 
In  this  way  he  would  make  her  suffer  for  her  former 
obstinate  refusal  to  entertain  his  proposition. 

His  face  fell  when  Herbert  said :  "  I  came  to  ask 
you  if  you  could  give  me  employment  on  one  of 
your  farms.  My  mother  has  been  sick,  and  I  feel 
that  I  ought  to  be  doing  something  to  earn  money." 

"  Ahem !  "  said  the  squire,  "  I  leave  all  such  mat- 
ters to  Mr.  Banks.  Was  that  all  you  wished  to  say 
tome?" 

80  '   . 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     81 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  Herbert.  "  Will  there  be 
any  use  in  applying  to  Mr.  Banks  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  he  has  got  help  enough 
or  not.  Your  mother  has  been  quite  sick,  hasn't 
she?" 

"Yes,  sir;  all  winter." 

"  I  heard  of  it.  I  suppose  you  found  it  expensive, 
eh?" 

"  Yes,  sir.     Neither  of  us  could  earn  anything.'* 

"  You  are  in  debt,  then?  " 

"  No,  sjr.  My  uncle  left  us  some  money  last 
year.     That  kept  us  along." 

"  It's  pretty  much  used  up  now,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Not  quite." 

Herbert  was  inclined  to  be  surprised  at  the  squire's 
apparent  interest  in  their  affairs,  but  the  motive 
soon  became  apparent. 

"  Well,  you  have  made  up  your  mind  to  sell  the 
house  now,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  the  squire. 

"  No,  we  hadn't  thought  of  it." 

"  But  you  will  have  to." 

"  Not  if  I  can  get  employment,"  said  Herbert. 
"  Our  expenses  are  very  small,  and  we  can  live  on 
a  little." 

The  great  man  frowned. 

"  That  is  all  nonsense,"  he  said,  impatiently. 
"  It  is  quite  impossible  for  you  to  hold  on  to  the 
house.     I  am  willing  to  give  you  cash  down  three 


82     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

hundred  dollars  over  and  above  the  mortgage  for 
it." 

:'  That  isn't  as  much  as  you  offered  last  year," 
said  Herbert,  shrewdly. 

"  I  believe  I  did  offer  three  hundred  and  fifty 
then." 

'  Your  last  offer  was  fifty  dollars  more  than 
that." 

"  It  may  be  so,  but  I  told  your  mother  that  it 
wasn't  a  standing  offer.  She  must  accept  it  then 
or  not  at  all." 

''  We  don't  ask  you  to  purchase,"  said  Herbert, 
independently.  "  I  had  no  idea  of  such  a  thing 
when  I  came  here." 

"  That  makes  no  difference.  You  will  have  to 
sell,  of  course,  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  offer 
you  three  hundred  and  fifty.  If  you  had  taken  me 
up  at  the  time,  I  would  have  given  you  fifty  more. 
You  can't  expect  that  now,  however." 

"  We  don't  expect  anything.  The  house  is  not 
for  sale." 

"  Then,  why  are  you  taking  up  my  valuable 
time  ?  "  demanded  the  squire,  frowning  with  dis- 
pleasure. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir.  I  only  came  in  to  ask 
for  employment." 

"  That  I  might  have  given  you,  if  you  hadn't  been 
so  unreasonable." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     83 

"  I  don't  think  we  are  unreasonable,  Squire 
Leech.  Even  if  we  were  willing  to  sell,  we  should 
ask,  at  least,  fourteen  hundred  dollars  for  the 
place." 

"  Fourteen  hundred !  Are  you  crazy  ?  I  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing." 

"  The  place,  land  and  all,  cost  my  father  fifteen 
hundred." 

"  I  don't  believe  it." 

"  We've  got  his  papers  to  show  that  it  is  so." 

"  It  isn't  worth  near  that  now." 

"  It  is  certainly  worth  more  than  eleven  hundred, 
which  is  all  you  offer." 

"  Look  here,  Carter,"  said  the  squire,  "  I  don't 
mind  telling  you  that  I  want  the  place  for  one  of 
my  men— Brown.  That  is  my  only  object  in  mak- 
ing you  an  offer  at  all.  He  is  the  cousin  of  Mr. 
Banks,  my  superintendent,  and  I  rather  think  Banks 
will  find  you  something  to  do,  if  you  will  induce 
your  mother  to  sell  the  place." 

"  I  can't  do  that,"  said  Herbert,  slowly.  "  I  can't 
consent  to  my  mother  making  such  a  sacrifice.  She 
might  as  well  give  you  three  or  four  hundred  dol- 
lars as  sell  the  place  so  much  under  price." 

"  You  are  a  boy,  and  know  nothing  about  busi- 
ness. You  think  property  must  necessarily  bring1 
its  first  cost,  though,  mind  you,  I  don't  admit  that 
yours  cost  anything  like  fifteen  hundred  dollars." 


?4     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

''I  am  inexperienced,"  Herbert  admitted,  "but 
I  am  sure  it  would  be  foolish  to  sell  for  eleven  hun- 
dred dollars." 

"  You  may. have  to  sell  for  less." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  If  you  are  not  prepared  with  the  interest  when 
the  time  comes,  I  shall  foreclose." 

u  You  wouldn't  be  so  hard  on  us  as  that,  Squire 
Leech,"  said  Herbert,  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  call  it  hard,  it  is  only  just  and  legal. 
When  that  time  comes,  I  don't  promise  to  pay  as 
much  as  I  offer  to-day." 

Herbert  looked  serious.  He  saw  that  the  squire 
meant  just  what  he  said;  that,  in  fact,  he  was  lying" 
in  wait  till  their  need  should  put  them  fully  in  his 
power. 

"  Well,"  said  the  squire,  triumphantly,  "  you  see 
how  the  matter  stands  now?  " 

"I  do,"  said  Herbert. 

"  Then  you  will  cease  your  foolish  opposition  to 
what  is  best  for  you." 

"  I  will  speak  to  my  mother  about  it."  said  Her- 
bert, rising.  "  The  place  is  hers,  not  mine,  and  she 
must  decide." 

"  Without  your  offering  any  foolish  advice,  I 
hope." 

"  I  can't  say  as  to  that,  Squire  Leech.  I  will  bid 
you  good-morning." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     85 

"  Good-morning.  If  you  change  your  mind,  call 
again,  and  we  will  see  about  the  employment." 

"  Well,"  said  James,  as  Herbert  came  out,  "  did 
you  get  work?  " 

"  Not  yet ;  your  father  is  not  sure  whether  he  will 
have  any  for  me." 

"  When  I  am  a  man,"  said  James,  pompously, 
"  I  dare  say  I  may  be  able  to  throw  something  in 
your  way." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Herbert,  tempted  to  smile  in 
spite  of  his  serious  thoughts. 

"  I  shall  be  richer  than  my  father,"  added  James, 
"  as  his  property  is  increasing  every  year." 

'■  You  have  an  excellent  prospect  before  you," 
said  Herbert,  half  enviously. 

"  That's  so.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  change  places 
with  me?  " 

"  I  am  not  sure  about  that." 

u  You  are  not  sure  about  that  ?  "  repeated  James, 
incredulously. 

"  No." 

"  Why,  I  am  a  rich  man's  son." 

"  I  know  that;  but  I  have  an  excellent  mother." 

"  She  has  got  no  money." 

"  I  should  not  value  her  more  if  she  were  worth  a 
million,"  said  Herbert,  warmly. 

"  Of  course,"  said  James ;  "  but  that  won't  save 
you  from  being  a  day  laborer." 


86  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  It  is  my  great  ambition  just  at  present  to  become 
a  day  laborer,"  said  Herbert,  smiling. 

"  Of  course,  there's  a  great  difference  between 
us.  But  I  say,  Carter,  can  you  help  me  with  this 
kite?  There's  something  wrong  about  it.  It  won't 
fly." 

Herbert  looked  at  it  critically. 

"  The  trouble  is  with  the  frame,"  he  said.  "  It's 
too  heavy." 

"  I  wish  you'd  help  me  about  it." 

Very  good-naturedly  our  hero  set  to  work,  and  in 
the  course  of  twenty  minutes  or  so  the  difficulty  was 
obviated.     The  kite  would  fly. 

'  You  may  stay  and  help  me  fly  it,"  said  James, 
condescendingly. 

"  Thank  you;  I  shall  be  needed  at  home." 

"  Oh,  I  forgot.  Your  time  is  valuable.  Here, 
take  this." 

James,  with  extraordinary  liberality,  held  out  five 
cents  to  Herbert. 

"  What  is  that  for  ?  "  asked  Herbert,  puzzled,  and 
not  offering  to  take  the  money. 

"  For  your  help  about  the  kite." 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  think  of  charging  anything  for 
that,"  said  Herbert,  amused. 

"  Why  not?    You  are  poor,  and  I  am  rich." 

"  I  know  it,  but  I  don't  want  money  for  a  trifle 
like  that." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     87 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  said  James,  returning  the 
money  to  his  pocket,  a  little  relieved,  if  the  truth 
must  be  told,  that  the  coin  was  not  accepted,  for  he 
was  naturally  fond  of  money. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  Herbert,  turning  to  go. 
"  If  the  kite  gets  out  of  order,  you  can  call  upon  me 
any  time." 

"  I  wonder  why  he  didn't  take  the  money," 
thought  James.  "  He  may  be  poor  and  proud ;  I've 
heard  of  such  cases;  but  of  course  it  would  be  ab- 
surd for  a  boy  in  his  position  to  be  proud." 

Herbert  kept  on  his  way  with  a  very  serious  face, 
It  seemed  as  if  they  must  lose  their  home,  after  all. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MR.  BANKS,  THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

After  his  interview  with  Squire  Leech,  Herbert 
walked  home  slowly  and  thoughtfully.  He  compre- 
hended now  all  the  danger  of  the  situation.  The 
squire  wanted  their  house,  and  was  mean  enough  to 
desire  to  get  it  at  less  than  its  value,  though  two  or 
three  hundred  dollars  would  have  been  of  little  ac- 
count to  him,  while  to  the  poor  widow  whom  he 
wished  to  defraud  it  was  a  great  sum. 

"  How  can  a  rich  man  be  so  mean  ?  "  exclaimed 
Herbert,  indignantly. 

That  question  has  puzzled  more  than  our  hero. 
Is  there  something  in  riches  that  dwarfs  the  man, 
and  makes  him  mean  and  ignoble?  In  too  many 
instances  such  appears  to  be  the  effect. 

"  Well,  mother,"  said  Herbert,  when  he  returned 
to  the  cottage,  "  I've  been  to  see  Squire  Leech." 

"What  success  did  you  meet  with?"  asked  his 
mother,  anxiously. 

"  He  will  probably  give  me  employment." 

"  You  see,  Herbert,  you  misjudged  him,  after 
all,"  said  the  widow,  her  face  brightening. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     89 

"  Wait  and  see  if  I  did.  There  is  a  condition  at- 
tached." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  That  you  will  sell  him  the  cottage." 

"Did  he  mention  that?" 

"  Yes ;  he  offered  three  hundred  dollars  over  and 
above  the  mortgage." 

"  Why,  he  offered  more  than  that  last  year." 

"  I  reminded  him  of  that." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  He  said  he  would  have  given  three  hundred  and 
fifty  if  we  hadn't  been  so  unreasonable  as  to  refuse 
then.  Now,  as  you  have  been  sick,  he  expects  he  can 
get  the  place  on  his  own  terms." 

";  I  didn't  think  Squire  Leech  would  be  so  un- 
generous." 

"  He  hinted,  besides,  that  when  the  next  interest 
is  due,  he  would  foreclose,  if  the  money  were  not 
ready." 

■■:  It  won't  be  ready,  I  am  afraid,  Herbert,"  said 
his  mother,  depressed.  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  I  am 
afraid  we  shall  be  forced  to  sell  the  place,  though  it 
would  be  hard  to  leave  it." 

"  There's  a  month  before  the  interest  comes  due, 
mother,"  said  Herbert,  with  energy.  "  Something 
may  turn  up." 

But  his  mother  was  not  so  hopeful  as  he. 

"  What  can  turn  up?  "  she  said. 


go  HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  may  get  employment." 

"  Even  if  you  do,  a  boy  can  earn  little  in  the 
country." 

"  That  is  true,  mother,  but  somehow  I  feel  hope- 
ful." 

"  That  is  because  you  are  young,  Herbert.  It  is 
natural  for  youth  to  be  hopeful." 

"  Well,  mother,  isn't  it  better  to  be  hopeful  than 
despondent?  " 

"  But  it  won't  alter  wants." 

"  Suppose  the  worst  to  happen — suppose  we  do 
leave  the  house — we  shall  have  three  hundred  or 
three  and  fifty  dollars  in  cash,  to  keep  us  from  starv- 
ing." 

"And  when  that  is  gone?" 

"  Before  that  is  gone,  I  shall  be  earning  good 
wages  somewhere.  You  see,  mother,  matters  are 
not  as  bad  as  they  might  be,  after  all." 

In  spite  of  her  doubts,  Mrs.  Carter  was  cheered 
by  her  son's  hopeful  tone. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  she  said.  "  Since  God 
orders  all  things,  we  ought  not  to  be  discouraged." 

"  Now  you  are  sensible,  mother.  How  much 
money  have  you  got  left  ?  " 

"  Twenty-five  dollars." 

"  Why,  that's  enough  to  pay  the  interest,  and  a 
little  over." 

"  But  how  are  we  to  live  for  the  next  month?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     91 

"  I  ought  to  earn  money  enough  for  that." 

"  If  there  were  any  chance  of  finding  work." 

"  Well,  I  will  go  out  again  to-morrow." 

Herbert  spoke  with  a  confidence  which  he  did  not 
feel.  Wrayburn  was  not  a  large  village,  and,  in 
general,  boys  were  to  be  found  in  families  where  a 
boy's  work  was  required.  In  fact,  the  only  one  who 
seemed  likely  to  have  work  for  a  boy  was  Mr.  Banks, 
the  squire's  farm  superintendent.  His  son,  Tom, 
might  indeed  have  worked,  had  he  been  inclined; 
but  he  was  naturally  indolent,  and  his  father  was  too 
indulgent  to  compel  him  to  work.  He  was  an  only 
child,  and  bade  fair  to  be  spoiled.  Though  only  fif- 
teen, he  had  already  learned  to  smoke  and  drink,  and 
the  only  limit  to  either  was  his  scanty  pocket  money. 

As  Herbert  was  walking  up  the  street  in  perplex- 
ity, he  fell  in  with  Tom,  who  was  smoking  a  cheap 
cigar  with  the  air  of  an  old  smoker. 

"  Where  are  you  bound,  Herbert  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Nowhere  in  particular.  I  wish  I  knew  where 
to  go." 

"  Come  fishing  with  me?  " 

"  I  haven't  time." 

"  You  said  you  were  not  going  anywhere  in  par- 
ticular." 

"  Because  I  don't  know  where  to  go." 

"  Then,  why  not  go  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  find  work  somewhere." 


92     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

Tom  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  That's  just  what  I  am  not  anxious  to  find,"  he 
said.  "  My  father  keeps  thinking  every  day  that 
I  ought  to  be  at  work,  but  I  don't  see  it." 

Tom  winked  here,  and  looked,  or  thought  he 
looked^  uncommonly  sly. 

"  Then  your  father  has  work  for  a  boy  to  do," 
said  Herbert,  getting  interested. 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  is  spring  now,  and  the  busy  season 
is  beginning.  But  that  sort  of  work  don't  suit  me. 
I  will  never  be  a  farmer.  When  I  get  a  little  older, 
I  should  like  to  go  to  the  city,  and  enter  a  store. 
That  would  be  jolly." 

"  You  might  get  tired  of  it." 

"  No,  I  wouldn't ;  I'm  sick  of  this  stupid  old  town, 
though.    There's  nothing  going  on." 

"  I  say,  Tom,  as  you  don't  want  to  work,  do  you 
think  your  father  would  give  me  a  chance  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Tom.  "  I'll  speak  to  him  if 
you  want  me  to." 

"  I  wish  you  would." 

"  There'll  be  one  advantage  about  it.  If  he  hires 
you,  he  won't  be  at  me  to  work  all  the  time.  I'll  do 
it.     Come  along,  and  I'll  speak  to  him  now." 

"  Thank  you,  Tom." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  thank  me.  It's  for  my  own 
sake  I'm  doing  it  as  much  as  yours,"  said  Tom, 
who  was  at  least  frank  in  his  selfishness. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     93 

They  went  to  the  small  house  occupied,  much 
against  his  will,  by  Amos  Banks.  He  was  in  the 
field,  with  one  of  his  men,  when  Tom  and  Herbert 
came  up,  and,  jumping  over  the  stone  wall, '  ap- 
proached him. 

"  Well,  Tom,"  said  his  father,  "  you  have  come 
just  in  time.  I  want  you  to  ride  the  horse  to 
plow." 

"  I  can't,  father;  I  don't  feel  well  to-day." 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"  Oh,  I've  got  a  headache." 

"  Riding  will  do  you  good." 

"  No,  it  won't,"  said  Tom,  confidently ;  "  but  if 
you  want  a  boy  to  help  you,  here  he  is." 

Mr.  Banks  turned  to  Herbert. 

"  You  are  Herbert  Carter,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  would  very  much  like  to  get  a  chance 
to  work." 

"  You're  the  widow  Carter's  son  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Has  your  mother  decided  to  sell  her  cottage  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  she  has,  Mr.  Banks." 

"  Of  course  you  know  that  Squire  Leech  wants  to 
buy  it." 

"  Yes,  sir.  He  told  me  that  he  wanted  to  pur- 
chase it  for  your  use." 

"  Just  so,"  said  the  superintendent,  stopping 
work ;  "  I've  taken  a  fancy  to  that  house,  and  so  has 


94     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

Mrs.  Banks.  You  had  better  accept  the  squire's 
offer." 

"  That  would  be  too  much  of  a  sacrifice,  Mr. 
Banks.  The  squire  wants  to  get  the  place  consider- 
ably below  its  value." 

"  Very  likely  you  overvalue  it." 

"  Mother  is  attached  to  it.  She  would  rather 
have  it  than  a  nicer  house.  Father  built  it,  and  it 
was  here  they  lived  for  nearly  fifteen  years." 

"  No  doubt — no  doubt,"  said  Banks,  impatiently; 
"  but  poor  folks  can't  afford  to  be  sentimental.  If 
it's  for  your  mother's  interest  to  sell,  then  she'd 
ought  to  sell,  that's  my  opinion." 

"  We  may  have  to  sell  some  time,  but  as  long  as 
we  can  hold  on  to  the  place,  we  mean  to." 

"  I  may  as  well  say,"  said  the  superintendent, 
"  that  the  squire  has  authorized  me  to  hire  you  to 
work,  in  case  your  mother  consents  to  sell." 

"  Is  that  the  condition  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then,"  said  Herbert,  turning  away,  "  I  am 
afraid  I  must  give  up  the  chance." 

"  That's  an  obstinate  boy,"  said  Banks,  looking 
after  him ;  "  but  he'll  come  around  after  a  while. 
The  squire  says  he'll  have  to,  or  be  turned  out  for 
not  paying  the  interest." 


CHAPTER  XIV 
Herbert's  new  undertaking 

To  be  willing  to  work,  and  yet  to  be  unable  to  find 
an  opportunity,  was  certainly  a  hardship.  Her- 
bert was  a  boy  of  active  temperament,  and,  even  had 
he  not  needed  the  wages  of  labor,  he  would  still 
have  felt  it  necessary  to  his  happiness  to  do  some- 
thing. 

In  the  course  of  his  walks  about  the  village,  he 
stopped  at  the  house  of  a  carpenter,  who  bore  the 
rather  peculiar  name  of  Jeremiah  Crane.  Mr.  Crane 
owned  about  an  acre  and  a  half  of  land,  which  might 
have  been  cultivated,  but  at  the  time  Herbert  called, 
early  in  April,  there  were  no  indications  of  this  in- 
tention. The  carpenter  was  at  work  in  a  small 
shop  just  beyond  the  house,  and  there  Herbert  found 
him. 

"Well,  Herbert,"  said  Mr.' Crane,  in  a  friendry 
manner,  "  what  are  you  up  to  nowadays?  " 

"  Nothing  profitable,  Mr.  Crane;  I  am  wandering 
about  in  search  of  work." 

"  Can't  you  find  any?  " 

"  Not  yet." 

95 


96     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Have  you  been  to  Squire  Leech  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  should  think  he  might  find  something  for  you 
to  do." 

"  There  is  a  little  difficulty  in  the  way." 

"What  is  that?" 

Then  Herbert  told  Mr.  Crane  about  the  squire's 
wish  to  purchase  their  cottage,  and  his  vexation  be- 
cause they  were  not  willing  to  sell. 

"  Seems  to  me  that's  very  unreasonable  in  the 
squire.  He  acts  as  if  it  was  your  duty  to  oblige 
him." 

"  I  don't  know  but  we  shall  have  to  come  to  his 
terms,"  said  Herbert,  rather  dejectedly.  "  We  cer- 
tainly shall  if  I  don't  find  anything  to  do." 

"I  wish  I  could  help  you;  but,  if  you  were  to 
learn  my  trade,  you  wouldn't  be  worth  any  wages 
for  nigh  a  year,  and  you  couldn't  afford  to  work  so 
long  without  pay." 

"  No,  I  couldn't."- 

"  Besides,  in  a  village  like  this,  there  isn't  more 
than  enough  work  for  one  man.  Why,  there  isn't 
more  than  one  new  house  built  a  year.  If  the  squire 
wants  to  provide  Mr.  Banks  with  a  house,  why 
doesn't  he  build  him  one?  He  might  just  as  well  - 
as  not." 

"  It  would  cost  him  more  than  to  buy  our  place  at 
the  price  he  offers." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY     97 

■■'  So  it  would.  Your  place  must  have  cost  fifteen 
hundred  dollars,  land  and  all." 

"  So  it  did,  but  the  squire  laughed  at  the  idea. 
All  he  offers  is  eleven  hundred." 

"  Don't  you  sell  at  that  price.  It  would  be  too 
much  of  a  sacrifice." 

"  We  won't  unless  we  are  obliged  to." 

"  I  hope  you  won't  be  obliged  to.  A  man  as  rich 
as  Squire  Leech  ought  not  to  try  to  get  it  under 
price." 

"  I  suppose  he  wants  to  make  a  good  bargain,  no 
matter  if  it  is  at  our  expense.  I  wish  you  had  a 
farm,  Mr.  Crane,  so  you  could  give  me  work  on  it."    ■ 

"  I've  got  more  farm  now  than  I  can  take  care  of." 

"  Don't  you  have  a  garden?  " 

"  I've  got  the  land,  but  no  time  to  work  on  it. 
My  wife  often  wishes  we  had  our  own  vegetables, 
instead  of  having  to  buy,  but,  you  see,  after  working 
in  the  shop,  or  outside,  all  day,  I'm  too  tired  to  work 
on  land." 

"  How  much  land  have  you?  " 

"  About  an  acre  that  I  could  cultivate,  I  suppose." 

"  Engage  me  to  take  care  of  it.  I'll  do  all  the 
work,  and  your  wife  can  have  her  own  vegetables." 

"  Really,  I  never  thought  of  that,"  said  the  car- 
penter. "  I  don't  know  but  it  might  be  a  good  idea. 
How  much  pay  would  you  want?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  said  Herbert,  who  had  a  business 


98     HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

turn,  and  who  had  already  matured  the  plan  in  his 
own  mind.  "  If  you  will  pay  for  plowing,  and 
provide  seed,  I  will  do  the  planting,  and  gather  it 
when  harvest  time  comes,  for  one-third  of  the  crop." 
'  You  mean,  you  will  take  your  pay  in  vege- 
tables?" 

'  Yes,"  said  Herbert,  promptly.  "  If  there  is 
more  than  you  need,  I  can  sell  the  surplus.  What 
do  you  say?  " 

"  It  strikes  me  as  a  fair  offer,  Herbert.  Just  wait 
a  minute,  and  I'll  go  and  ask  my  wife  what  she 
thinks  of  it." 

Mr.  Crane  went  into  the  house,  leaving  Herbert 
in  the  shop.  He  reappeared  in  five  minutes.  Her- 
bert, to  whom  the  plan  seemed  every  minute  more 
desirable,  awaited  his  report  eagerly. 

"  My  wife  is  all  for  your  plan,"  he  said.  "  She 
says  it  is  the  only  way  she  knows  of  likely  to  give 
her  the  fresh  vegetables  she  wants.  Besides,  she 
thinks  well  of  you.  So,  it's  a  settled  thing,  if  you 
say  so." 

"  I  do  say  so,"  Herbert  replied,  promptly.  "  Now, 
when  will  you  have  it  plowed?  " 

"  I  shall  leave  all  that  to  you.  I  haven't  time  to 
make  arrangements.  You  can  engage  anybody  you 
like  to  do  the  plowing,  and  I  will  pay  the  bill." 

"  Then,  as  to  the  seed?  " 

"  There,  again,  I  trust  all  to  you.     You  can  buy 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    99 

what  you  find  to  be  necessary,  and  the  bill  may  be 
sent  to  me.  You  may  ask  Mrs.  Crane  what  vege- 
tables she  wants." 

"  All  right,"  said  Herbert. 

"  Please  understand,"  said  the  carpenter,  "  that 
I  will  do  what  I  have  said,  but  I  don't  want  to  be 
worried  about  the  details.  You  are  a  boy,  but  I 
shall  trust  to  your  judgment,  as  you  are  interested 
in  the  result." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Herbert,  rather  proud  of  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him.  "  I  will  do  what  I  can 
to  justify  your  confidence.  I'll  go  right  off  and  see 
about  the  plowing." 

"  Very  well." 

Whatever  Herbert  did  was  done  promptly.  He 
knew  of  a  man  named  Kimball,  a  farmer  on  a  small 
scale,  who  was  accustomed  to  do  work  for  neigh- 
bors, not  having  enough  work  of  his  own  to  occupy 
his  whole  time.     He  went  to  see  him  at  once. 

"  Mr.  Kimball,"  he  said,  "  I  want  to  know  if  I 
can  engage  you  to  do  some  plowing  for  me." 

"  For  you !  "  repeated  the  farmer,  opening  his 
eyes.    "  Why,  you  haven't  taken  a  farm,  have  you  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,"  said  Herbert,  smiling ;  "  but  I've 
agreed  to  cultivate  a  little  land  on  shares." 

"  Sho!  you  don't  say  so!     What  land  is  it?  " 

"  It's  the  field  behind  Mr.  Crane's  house." 

"  So  he's  engaged  you,  has  he  ?    Well,  I've  often 


too    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

wondered  why  he  didn't  cultivate  it.  Might  as  well 
as  not." 

"  It's  my  idea.  I  proposed  it  to  him.  Now,  when 
can  you  come?  " 

"Wait  a  minute,"  said  the  farmer,  cautiously; 
"  wTho's  a-going  to  pay  me  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Crane.  He  told  me  to  engage  somebody, 
and  he  -would  pay  the  bill." 

"  That's  all  right,  then,"  said  the  farmer,  in  a 
tone  of  satisfaction ;  "  Crane's  a  man  that  always 
pays  his  bills." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  have  the  same  reputation,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  I  hope  you  will,  but  you're  only  a  boy,  you 
know,  and  I  couldn't  collect  of  a  minor.  That's  the 
law." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  anybody  would  be  dishonest 
enough  to  bring  that  as  an  excuse.". 

"  Plenty  would  do  it,  so  I  have  to  be  careful. 
What  time  do  you  want  me  to  do  the  work  for 
you?" 

"As  soon  as  you  can." 

"  Let  me  see,  I  guess  I  can  come  to-morrow. 
There  ain't  anything  very  pressing  for  me  to  do 
then." 

"  That's  good,"  said  Herbert,  with  satisfaction. 
""  You'll  find  me  there,  and  I  can  ride  the  horse  to 
plow  if  you  want  me  to." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    101 

*f  I  should  like  to  have  you/' 

"  Well,"  thought  Herbert,  as  he  started  for  home 
to  tell  his  mother  what  he  had  done,  "  I've  made  a 
beginning." 

"  I -suppose  you  haven't  found  any  work  yet,  Her- 
bert," said  his  mother,  in  a  tone  of  resignation,  as  he 
entered  the  little  cottage. 

"  Yes,  I  have;  though  I  shall  have  to  wait  some 
time  for  the  pay." 

"What  is  it,  Herbert?" 

"  I'm  going  to  cultivate  a  garden  on  shares, 
mother;  so  next  fall  and  winter  you  can  have  all 
the  vegetables  you  want." 

"  How  is  that,  Herbert?    Tell  me  all  about  it." 

When  Herbert  detailed  the  contract  he  had  en- 
tered into,  he  was  glad  to  find  that  his  mother  ap- 
proved of  it.  She  declared  that  it  would  be  very 
satisfactory  to  her  to  have  an  abundant  stock  of 
vegetables,  but  she  said,  doubtfully :  "  Do  you  think 
you  know  enough  of  farming  to  attend  to  all  the 
work?" 

"  If  I  don't  I  can  easily  ask  some  farmer,"  said 
Herbert,  confidently.  "  I  am  not  in  the  least  afraid 
to  undertake  the  job." 

He  went  to  bed  that  night,  feeling  that  at  last  he 
had  obtained  something  to  do. 

The  reader  will  perhaps  recall  the  statement  in 
our  first  chapter  that  there  was  a  little  land  con- 


io2  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

nected  with  the  cottage,  which  was  used  for  the 
growth  of  vegetables.  This,  in  fact,  supplied  nearly 
all  that  was  required  by  the  widow  and  her  son,  and 
the  probability  was  that  Herbert  would  be  able  to 
send  to  market  nearly  all  his  share  of  vegetables 
obtained  under  his  new  contract,  and  thus  obtain 
payment  in  money,  of  which  they  were  so  much  in 
need. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  CRISIS  APPROACHES 

Herbert  went  to  work  in  earnest.  It  took  only 
part  of  one  day  to  plow  the  field  which  he  was  to 
cultivate.  He  decided,  after  consultation  with  Mrs. 
Crane,  to  appropriate  two-thirds  of  the  land  to  pota- 
toes, and  the  remainder  to  different  kinds  of  vege- 
tables. He  was  guided  partly  by  the  consideration 
of  which  would  be  most  marketable. 

On  the  third  day,  while  at  work,  he  heard  his 
name  called.  It  must  be  explained  that  Mr.  Crane's 
house  and  land  were  on  the  corner  of  two  streets, 
so  that  he  was  in  full  sight,  while  in  the  field,  from 
the  side  street.  Looking  up,  he  recognized  James 
Leech,  who  was  surveying  him  with  evident  curi- 
osity. 

"  Good-morning,  James,"  said  Herbert,  going  oti 
with  his  work. 

"  I  see  you've  got  a  job,"  said  James. 

"  Yes." 

"  Has  Mr.  Crane  hired  you?  " 

"  Not  exactly." 

"  Then  why  are  you  at  work  in  his  field  ?  " 
103 


io4    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Because  I've  agreed  to  work  it  on  shares." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  I  am  to  have  a  third  of  the  crops  to  pay  me  for 
my  services." 

"  What  can  you  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Part  of  the  vegetables  we  can  use  at  home,  and 
the  balance  I  shall  sell." 

"  T  shouldn't  think  you'd  like  that  arrangement." 

"  Why  not?" 

"  Because  you  have  so  long  to  wait  for  your  pay." 

"  That  is  true,  but  it's  better  than  not  working  at 
all,  and  I've  tried  all  over  the  village  in  vain  to  get 
employment." 

"  Do  you  think  you'll  make  much  out  of  it?  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  make  a  fortune,  but  I  shall 
make  something." 

"  Don't  it  tire  you  to  work  ?  "  asked  James,  with 
some  curiosity. 

"  Of  course,  if  I  work  all  day ;  but  I  don't  mind 
that." 

"  I  should." 

"  You  are  not  used  to  work." 

"  I  should  say  not,"  returned  Jinnies,  with  pride. 
"  I  never  worked  in  my  life." 

It  was  a  strange  thing  to  be  proud  of,  but  there 
are  som.e  who  have  nothing  better  to  be  proud  of. 

"  I  like  to  work,"  said  Herbert 

"You  do?" 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    105 

V  Yes,  only  I  like  to  get  something  for  my  labor. 
You  expect  to  work  some  time,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Not  with  my  hands,"  said  James.  "  I  shall 
never  be  reduced  to  that." 

"  Do  you  think  it  so  very  bad  to  work  with  your 
hands.    Isn't  it  respectable  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  suppose  it's  respectable,"  said  James; 
"  but  only  the  lower  classes  do  it." 

"Am  I  one  of  the  lower  classes?"  asked  Her- 
bert,  amused. 

"  Of  course  you  are." 

"  But  suppose  I  should  get  rich  some  day,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  That  isn't  very  likely.  You  can't  get  rich  rais- 
ing vegetables." 

"  No,  I  don't  expect  to.  Still,  I  may  in  some  other 
way.  Didn't  you  ever  know  any  poor  boys  that  got 
rich?" 

"  I  suppose  there  have  been  some,"  admitted 
James. 

"  Haven't  you  heard  of  Vanderbilt?  " 

"  Of  course  I  have.  .Father  says  he's  worth  forty 
millions." 

"Don't  you  consider  him  a  gentleman?" 

"Of  course  I  do." 

"  Well,  he  was  a  poor  boy  once,  and  used  to  ferry 
passengers  across  from  Staten  Island  to  New  York." 

"  Did  he  ?    I  didn't  know  that." 


io6         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Suppose  my  uncle  had  left  me  all  his  fortune — ■ 
a  hundred  thousand  dollars — would  I  have  been  a 
gentleman,  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it  isn't  the  same  as  if  you  had  always 
been  rich." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  your  ideas,  James.  It  seems 
to  me  something  besides  money  is  needed  to  make  a 
gentleman ;  still,  I  hope  to  get  on  in  the  world,  and 
I  shouldn't  object  to  being  rich,  though  I  don't  see 
any  prospect  of  it  just  at  present." 

"  No,"  said  James.  "  You  will  probably  always 
be  poor." 

"  That's  very  encouraging,"  said  Herbert,  laugh- 
ing.    "  How  about  yourself?  " 

"  Oh,  I  shall  be  a  rich  man  like  father." 

"  That's  very  encouraging  for  you.  I  hope  when 
you  are  a  man  you'll  give  me  work  if  I  need 
it." 

"i  I  will  bear  it  in  mind,"  said  James,  with  an  im- 
portant air.     "  Now  I  must  be  going." 

That  day,  at  dinner,  James  said  to  his  father: 
"  That  Carter  boy  has  got  a  job." 

"Has  he?"  asked  the  squire,  not  very  well 
pleased. 

"  Yes,  he  is  working  at  Mr.  Crane's." 

"What  is  he  doing?" 

"  Working  in  the  garden." 

*'  What  wages  does  Crane  pay  him?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    107 

"  None  at  all.  He  says  he  has  agreed  to  work  for 
the  third  of  the  crops." 

"  Did  he  say  that?  "  asked  the  squire,  with  satis- 
faction. 

"  Yes,  he  told  me  so  this  morning." 

"  You  are  sure  he  gets  no  money?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  is  paid  wholly  in  vegetables.  He  said 
he  couldn't  find  employment  anywhere  else  in  the 
village,  so  he  had  to  work  that  way." 

"  That  boy  stands  very  much  in  his  own  light," 
said  the  squire. 

"How  is  that,  father?" 

"  I  told  him  Mr.  Banks  would  give  him  work  if  he 
would  agree  to  sell  his  cottage." 

"  He  doesn't  own  it,  does  he?  " 

"  His  mother,  of  course,  I  mean.  It's  the  boy  that 
keeps  her  from  selling  it." 

"Why  does  he  do  that?" 

"  Oh,  they've  got  a  silly  notion  that  no  other  place 
would  seem  like  home  to  them,  and,  besides,  they 
think  I  don't  offer  them  enough." 

"  How  much  do  you  offer  them  ?  " 

"  Eleven  hundred  dollars ;  that  is,  I  have  a  mort- 
gage on  the  place  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty.  I 
offer  them  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  besides." 

"  Is  that  all  the  money  they  are  worth  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  they  are  very  foolish  to  refuse,  for  they'll 
have  to  come  to  it  some  time.    In  about  a  week  the 


io8         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

inteiest  comes  due,  and  I'm  very  sure  they  won't  be 
able  to  meet  it." 

'*  Suppose  they  don't?  " 

'  Then,"  said  the  squire,  with  a  satisfied  smile, 
"  I  shall  take  possession,  and  they'll  have  to  sell." 

"  Herbert  says  he  hopes  to  be  rich  some  time." 

"  I  dare  say,"  said  the  squire,  laughing  heartily. 
*'  Everybody  does,  so  far  as  I  know." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  of  it?  " 

"  About  one  in  a  thousand." 

"  I  shouldn't  want  the  lower  class  to  get  rich," 
said  James,  thoughtfully.  "  They'd  think  they  were 
our  equals." 

"  Yes,  no  doubt." 

James  was  not  aware  that  his  grandfather  had 
once  been  a  poor  mechanic,  or  rather  he  ignored  it. 
He  chose  to  consider  that  he  had  sprung  from  a  long 
line  of  wealthy  ancestors.  His  father  heard  with 
pleasure  that  Herbert  was  not  likely  to  realize  any 
money  at  present  for  his  services.  Already  he  felt 
that  the  little  cottage  was  as  good  as  his.  It  was 
only  a  week  now  to  the  time  of  paying  interest,  and 
he  was  very  sure  that  Mrs.  Carter  would  be  unpre- 
pared to  meet  it. 

"  In  that  case,"  he  decided,  "  I  will  certainly  fore- 
close. There  will  be  no  sense  in  granting  them  any 
further  indulgence.  It  will  be  for  their  interest  to 
sell  the  cottage,  and  get  rid  of  the  burden  which  the 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         109 

interest  imposes.  Really,  they  ought  to  consider  it 
a  favor  that  I  am  willing  to  take  it  off  their  hands." 

We  are  very  apt  to  think  it  is  for  the  interest  of 
others  to  do  what  we  greatly  desire.,  and  I  don't  sup- 
pose the  squire  was  singular  in  this.  I  think,  how- 
ever, that  there  are  many  who  are  less  selfish  and 
more  considerate  of  others. 

Herbert,  too,  was  thinking,  and  thinking  seri- 
ously, of  the  interest  that  was  so  soon  coming  due. 
In  spite  of  his  own  and  his  mother's  economy,  when 
the  preceding  day  arrived,  all  they  could  raise  to- 
ward the  payment  was  thirteen  dollars,  and  the  sum 
required  was  twenty-two  dollars  and  a  half. 

"  Mother,"  said  Herbert,  at  dinner  the  day  before, 
"  I  see  only  one  chance  for  us,  and  that  is,  to  borrow 
the  money.  If  anyone  would  lend  us  ten  dollars  we 
could  pay  the  interest,  and  then  we  should  be  free 
from  anxiety  for  six  months." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  find  that  difficult,"  said  his 
mother.  "  The  squire  is  the  only  rich  man  in  the 
village,  and  of  course  we  can't  apply  to  him." 

"  At  any  rate,  I  can  try.  Instead  of  going  to 
work  this  afternoon,  I  shall  go  and  try  to  borrow  the 
money.  If  I  can't,  then  I  suppose  we  must  give  up 
the  house." 

Certainly  the  prospect  seemed  far  from  cheerful. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

AN    UNEXPECTED    OFFER 

It  was  with  very  little  confidence  in  his  ultimate 
success  that  Herbert  set  out  on  his  borrowing  ex- 
pedition. The  number  of  those  who  could  be  called 
capitalists  in  a  small  village  like  Wrayburn  was  very 
small,  and  it  happened  very  remarkably  that  all  of 
them  were  short  of  funds.  One  man  had  just  bought 
a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  so  spent  all  his  available  cash, 
another  had  been  shingling  his  barn;  and  still  an- 
other confessed  to  having  money,  but  it  was  in  the 
savings  bank,  and  he  didn't  like  to  disturb  it. 

So,  at  supper  time,  Herbert  came  in,  depressed 
and  dispirited. 

"  Well,  mother,  it's  no  use,"  he  said,  as  her  anx- 
ious look  met  his. 

"  I  didn't  much  think  you  could  borrow  the 
money,"  she  answered,  trying  to  look  cheerful. 

"  There's  only  one  thing  remains  to  be  done," 
said  Herbert. 

"What  is  that?" 

"  To  try  to  induce  the  squire  to  give  us  more 
time." 

no 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    in 

"  I  don't  think  he  will  do  that." 

"  Nor  I.  In  that  case  we  must  come  to  terms ; 
but  it's  a  pity  to  sacrifice  the  property,  mother." 

"Yes,  Herbert;  I  shall  be  sorry  to  leave  the  old 
place,"  she  sighed.  "  You  were  born  here,  and  your 
father  was  always  very  much  attached  to  it.  But 
poor  folks  can't  have  everything  they  wish,  and  it 
might  be  worse." 

"  Yes,  it  might  be  worse,  and  if  the  squire  was 
not  so  bent  on  getting  the  place  into  his  hands,  it 
might  be  better." 

"  I  suppose  we  ought  not  to  blame  him  for  look- 
ing out  for  his  own  interest." 

"  Yes,  we  ought;  when  it  seems  that  he  is  ready 
to  injure  his  poorer  neighbors." 

Mrs.  Carter  did  not  reply.  She  did  not  wish 
further  to  incense  her  son  against  the  squire,  yet  in 
her  heart  she  could  not  help  agreeing  with  him. 

The  next  day  Herbert  did  not  go  to  work  as 
usual.  He  did  not  feel  like  it,  while  matters  were 
in  such  uncertainty.  He  knew  the  squire  would  be 
at  the  cottage  a  little  before  twelve  o'clock,  and  he 
wanted  to  be  with  his  mother  at  that  time,  for  he 
felt  that,  if  the  place  must  be  sold,  he  would  be  more 
likely  to  get  good  terms  for  it  than  his  mother,  who 
was  of  an  easy  and  yielding  disposition. 

He  took  a  little  walk  in  the  course  of  the  forenoon, 
not  with  any  particular  object  in  view,  but  in  order 


ii2    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

to  pass  the  time.  As  he  was  passing  the  hotel — for 
there  was  a  small  hotel  in  the  village — he  heard  his 
name  called.  Turning  round,  he  found  that  it  was 
the  landlord  who  had  called  him. 

"  Come  here  a  minute,  Herbert,"  he  said. 

Herbert  obeyed  the  summons. 

"  What  are  you  doing  nowadays  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  turned  farmer,"  said  our  hero. 

"Whom  are  you  working  for?" 

"  For  myself." 

"  How  is  that?    I  don't  understand." 

"  I  am  cultivating  Mr.  Crane's  land  on  shares." 

"  Does  it  take  up  all  your  time?  " 

"  No;  I  would  only  work  part  of  the  day  if  I  had 
anything  else  to  do." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  have  been  thinking  of. 
There's  a  young  man  boarding  with  me  from  fche 
city,  a  Mr.  Cameron.  He  was  a  college  student,  but 
his  eyes  gave  out,  and  the  doctor  sent  him  out  of  the 
city  to  get  well.  He  wants  someone  to  read  to  him 
part  of  the  time,  and  go  about  with  him  for  com- 
pany. He  is  from  a  rich  family — the  son  of  a 
wealthy  manufacturer — and  he  will  be  willing  to  pay 
a  fair  price." 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  suit  him  ?  "  asked  Her- 
bert, eagerly. 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  would.  You  are  a  gvod 
scholar,  and  when  I  mentioned  you  to  him,  he  said 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  113 

he  would  like  to  see  you.  He  said  he  would  prefer 
a  boy,  as  he  would  be  more  ready  to  adapt  himself 
to  his  wishes." 

"  When  can  I  see  Mr.  Cameron  ?  "  asked  our  hero. 

"  Come  in  now.  You  will  find  him  in  his  room. 
Here,  John,  show  Herbert  up  to  number  six." 

Herbert  was  ushered  into  one  of  the  best  rooms 
the  hotel  afforded.  A  young  man,  of  pleasant  ap- 
pearance, was  sitting  at  the  window,  with  a  green 
shade  over  his  eyes.  He  pushed  up  this,  that  he 
might  see  Herbert. 

"  This  is  Herbert  Carter,  Mr.  Cameron,"  said 
John,  unceremoniously. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Herbert,"  said  the  young 
man,  smiling  as  he  extended  his  hand.  He  was 
secretly  pleased  with  Herbert's  open  and  manly 
face. 

"  Did  the  landlord  say  why  I  might  need  your  as- 
sistance ?  " 

"  He  said  your  eyes  were  affected." 

"  Yes,  they  broke  down  a  month  since.  I  am  a 
student  of  Yale  College,  in  the  junior  class.  I  sup- 
pose I  tasked  my  eyes  too  severely.  At  any  rate, 
they  gave  out,  and  I  am  forbidden  to  use  them  at 
all." 

"  That  must  be  a  great  loss  to  you,"  said  Herbert, 
with  sympathy. 

"  It  is.    I  am  very  fond  of  reading  and  study,  and 


ii4    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

the  time  passes  very  heavily  in  the  absence  of  my 
usual  employment." 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  should  do  if  I  could  not  use 
my  eyes." 

'  You  would  find  it  a  great  hardship.  Now  I 
must  tell  you  why  I  came  here.  The  doctor  told  me 
I  should  be  better  off  in  the  country  than  in  the  city. 
He  said  that  the  sight  of  the  green  grass  would  be 
good  for  me,  and  the  fresh  air,  in  improving  my 
general  health,  would  help  my  eyes  also.  I  hadn't 
much  choice  as  to  a  place,  but  someone  men- 
tioned Wrayburn,  and  so  I  came  here.  But  I  soon 
found  that,  unless  I  got  some  pleasant  company  and 
someone  who  could  read  to  me,  I  should  die  of 
weariness.  That  brings  me  to  my  object  in  asking 
you  to  call  upon  me.     How  is  your  time  occupied  ?  " 

"  I  have  taken  an  acre  of  land  to  cultivate  on 
shares,"  answered  Herbert.  "  It  was  because  I 
could  find  nothing  else  to  do,  and  must  do  some- 
thing." 

"  Does  that  keep' you  pretty  busy?  " 

"  It  is  planting  time  now,  but  I  could  get  along 
with  working  there  half  a  day." 

"  And  could  you  place  yourself  at  my  disposal  the 
other  half?" 

"  1  should  be  glad  to  do  it,"  answered  Herbert. 

"  Suppose,  then,  that  you  work  in  the  field  in  the 
forenoon,  and  give  me  every  afternoon." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    115 

"  All  right,"  said  Herbert,  promptly. 

"  Now  comes  another  question.  What  pay  would 
yoM  expect  for  giving  me  so  much  of  your  time?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  know  what  to  charge,  Mr.  Cameron. 
I  leave  that  matter  entirely  with  you." 

"  Would  you  be  satisfied  with  five  dollars  a 
week?" 

Five  dollars  a  week !  Herbert  could  hardly  be- 
lieve his  ears.  Why,  he  would  have  been  well  paid 
if  this  had  been  given  him  for  the  whole  of  his  time, 
but  for  half  it  seemed  munificent. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  can't  earn  that  much,"  he  an- 
swered.   "  I  would  b£  willing  to  take  less." 

"  You  don't  know  how  hard  I  shall  make  you 
work,"  said  the  young  man,  smiling.  "  I  insist 
upon  paying  you  five  dollars  a  week." 

"  I  don't  seriously  object,"  said  Herbert,  smiling; 
H  but  if  you  think,  after  the  first  week,  that  it  is  too 
much,  you  can  pay  me  less." 

"  I  see  that  we  are  not  likely  to  quarrel  on  the  sub- 
ject of  salary,  then.    When  can  you  begin  ?  " 

"  This  afternoon,  if  you  wish." 

"  I  do  wish  it,  otherwise  the  afternoon  would  pass 
very  slowly  to  me." 

"  Then,  I  will  be  here  at  one  o'clock." 

"  Half-past  one  will  do." 

"  I  will  be  on  hand.  Till  then  I  will  bid  you 
good-morning,  as  I  shall  be  wanted  at  home." 


n6  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Very  well,  Herbert." 

Herbert  left  the  room  and  hurried  home,  for  it 
was  nearly  twelve.  On  the  way  he  stopped  at  the 
post  office,  and  found  a  letter  addressed  to  his 
mother.  He  did  not  recognize  the  handwriting,  nor, 
such  was  his  hurry,  did  he  notice  where  it  was  post- 
marked. He  had  no  watch,  but  thought  it  must  be 
close  upon  twelve  o'clock.  So  he  thrust  the  letter 
into  his  pocket,  and  continued  his  way  homeward 
on  a  half-run.  He  was  in  time,  for,  just  as  he  reached 
the  front  gate  from  one  direction,  the  squire  reached 
it  from  the  other. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  the  squire,  a  little  stiffly. 
"  Is  your  mother  at  home  ?  " 

"  I  presume  she  is.     Won't  you  come  in  ?  " 

"  I  wonder  if  they've  got  the  money  ready," 
thought  the  squire,  as  he  followed  Herbert  into  the 
modest  sitting  room. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

WHAT    THE    LETTER    CONTAINED 

Leaving  the  squire  in  the  sitting  room,  Herbert 
went  in  quest  of  his  mother. 

"  Squire  Leech  is  here,"  he  said. 

"  What  shall  we  say  to  him  ?  "  asked  his  mother, 
soberly. 

"  Wait  a  minute  and  I  will  tell  you,"  said  Her- 
bert, his  face  brightening-. 

"  I've  had  a  stroke  of  luck,  mother.  I've  been 
engaged  to  work  afternoons,  at  five  dollars  a  week." 

"  Who  has  engaged  to  pay  you  such  high 
wages?"  asked  Mrs.  Carter,  astonished. 

"  A  young  man  staying  at  the  hotel,  whose  eyes 
are  weak.  I  am  to  read  to  him,  and  do  whatever 
else  he  requires.  I  got  the, chance  through  the  land- 
lord." 

"  You  are  certainly  fortunate,"  said  his  mother, 
gratified. 

"  Now,  what  I  am  going  to  propose  to  the  squire 
is  to  wait  two  or  three  weeks  for  the  balance  of  the 
interest  till  I  can  make  it  up  out  of  my  wages." 

"  If  he  weren't  so  anxious  to  get  possession  of  the 
117 


n8    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

place  he  would;  but  I  am  afraid  on  that  account  he 
will  refuse.     But  we  ought  to  go  in." 

Mrs.  Carter  removed  the  apron  which  she  had 
worn  about  her  work,  and  entered  the  sitting  room, 
followed  by  Herbert. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  keeping  you  waiting, 
Squire  Leech,"  she  said. 

"  Certainly,  ma'am,  though  I  am  rather  in  a 
hurry." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  come  about  the  interest  ?  " 

"  It  is  due  to-day,  as,  of  course,  you  know." 

"  Yes." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  it  ready,"  said  the  squire, 
eying  her  shrewdly. 

"  I  can  pay  you  fifteen  dollars  of  it,"  said  the 
widow,  nervously. 

Squire  Leech  felt  exultant,  but  he  only  frowned. 

"  It  amounts  to  twenty-two  dollars  and  a  half," 
he  said,  sharply. 

"  I  know  that,  and  I  shall  be  able  to  pay  the  re- 
mainder if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  wait  two  or 
three  weeks." 

Not  knowing  anything  of  Herbert's  good  fortune, 
Squire  Leech  utterly  disbelieved  this.  He  knew  no 
source  from  which  the  widow  could  get  the  money. 

"  It  is  easy  enough  to  make  promises,"  he  said, 
with  a  sneer,  "  but  that  doesn't  satisfy  me.  I  want 
my  money." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         119 

Now  Herbert  felt  it  time  for  him  to  take  part  in 
the  conversation. 

"  My  mother  can  keep  her  promise,"  he  said. 

"  Can  she?  Perhaps  you  will  explain  where  you 
expect  to  get  the  money." 

"  From  my  wages,"  answered  Herbert,  proudly. 

"  I  wasn't  aware  that  you  received  any,"  sneered 
the  squire. 

"  I  have  just  made  an  engagement  to  work  for 
five  dollars  a  week,"  said  our  hero,  enjoying  the 
squire's  look  of  surprise. 

"  Indeed !    Who  pays  you  that  ?  " 

"  A  gentleman  boarding  at  the  hotel  has  engaged 
me  to  read  to  him, 'as  his  eyes  are  weak  and  he  can- 
not use  them." 

"  A  fool  and  his  money  are  soon  parted,"  said 
Squire  Leech,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  You  may 
retain  the  position  a  week." 

"  I  hope  to  keep  it  much  longer.  T  feel  sure  that 
I  shall." 

"  I  don't,"  said  the  squire,  emphatically. 

"  Then  are  you  willing  to  wait — say  two  weeks — 
for  the  rest  of  the  interest?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not,  and  you  ought  to  have  known  I 
shouldn't  be.  There  is  a  way  of  arranging  the 
whole  matter,  as  I  have  already  told  your  mother." 

"  By  selling  the  place,  you  mean?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  mean  just  that.     It  is  a  folly  for  you  to 


i2o    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

think  of  keeping  the  property,  with  such  a  heavy 
mortgage  upon  it,  on  which  you  are  unable  to  pay 
the  interest.  If  you  couldn't  sell  the  place,  it  would 
alter  the  matter,  but  I  have  offered  you  a  fair  price 
for  it." 

"  You  have  offered  us  four  hundred  dollars  less 
than  it  cost." 

"  That  is  nonsense !  It  never  cost  fifteen  hundred 
dollars." 

"  I  have  my  husband's  word  for  it,"  said  the 
widow. 

"  Then,  he  made  some  mistake  about  it,  you  may 
be  sure  of  that." 

"  I  am  sure  father  was  right,"  said  Herbert. 
"  Besides,  we  have  his  bills  to  prove  it." 

"  That's  neither  here  nor  there,"  said  Squire 
Leech,  impatiently.  "  Even  if  it  cost  ten  thousand 
dollars,  it's  only  worth  eleven  hundred  now,  and 
that  I  offer  you;  that  is  to  say,  three  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  over  and  above  the  mortgage." 

'  You  are  hard  upon  me,  Squire  Leech,"  said 
Mrs.  Carter,  despondently. 

"  You  are  a  woman,  '•  ma'am,  and  women  never 
understand  about  business.  Therefore,  I  make  al- 
lowance for  you,  but  your  son  ought  to  know  better 
than  to  encourage  you  in  your  erroneous  ideas." 

"  I  wanted  my  mother  to  be  treated  fairly  and 
justly."     ■ 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    iai 

"  Do  you  mean  to  imply  that  I  would  treat  her 
otherwise,  young  man?"  demanded  the  squire, 
angrily.  "  I  advise  you  not  to  make  an  enemy  of 
one  who  might  be  of  service  to  you." 

Herbert  looked  sober.  The  squire  might  not  be 
right,  but  certainly  he  had  the  power  to  carry  his 
point,  and  that  power-he  was  certain  to  exercise. 

"  Will  you  give  my  mother  and  myself  a  little 
time  to  consult  what  is  to  be  done?  "  he  asked. 
'  "  Yes,"  said  the  squire,  feeling  that  he  had  car- 
ried his  point.  "  I  might  refuse,  of  course,  but  1 
wish  to  be  easy  with  you,  and,  therefore  I  will  give 
you  till  half-past  twelve.  I  am  going  to  the  post 
office,  and  will  be  back  at  that  time." 

He  took  his  cane,  and  left  the  house. 

His  reference  to  the  post  office  reminded  Herbert 
of  the  letter  he  had  in  his  pocket  for  his  mother. 

"  Here's  a  letter  for  you,  mother,"  he  said. 

"A  letter!"  repeated  Mrs.  Carter,  examining  it 
curiously.     "  Who  can  it  be  from  ?  " 

"  It's  postmarked  at  Randolph,"  said  Herbert, 
looking  over  her  shoulder. 

"  Perhaps  it's  from  Aunt  Nancy,"  suggested  the 
widow.  "  I  don't  know  anyone  else  in  Randolph 
that  would  be  likely  to  write  to  me." 

She  opened  the  envelope,  and  uttered  a  cry  of  sur- 
prise as  two  bills  dropped  out  and  fluttered  down- 
ward to  the  floor. 


122         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

Herbert  picked  them  up  eagerly,  and  cried: 
"  Why,  mother,  they  are  ten-dollar  bills.  Twenty 
dollars  in  all!" 

"  Twenty  dollars ! "  repeated  Mrs.  Carter,  in 
amazement. 

"Hurrah!  now  we  can  pay  the  interest!"  ex- 
claimed Herbert.  "  Won't  the  squire  be  mad !  "  and 
he  laughed  joyously.  "  Read  the  letter  aloud, 
mother." 

Mrs.  Carter  read  as  follows : 

"  My  Dear  Niece  :  I  have  thought  of  you  often, 
and  wish  we  were  not  so  far  distant  from  each  other. 
I  should  enjoy  seeing  you  and  that  good  son  of 
yours  often.  I  am  afraid  you  have  had  a  hard  time 
getting  along.  I  wanted  my  brother  to  leave  you  a 
good,  handsome  sum;  but  he  was  peculiar,  you 
know,  and  not  easily  influenced.  I  feel  grateful  that 
he  left  me  so  well  off.  My  wants  are  few,  and  I 
have  more  than  enough  to  supply  them.  I  inclose 
twenty  dollars  in  this  letter,  which  I  hope  will  help 
you  along,  so  that  you  may  be  comfortable.  I  shall 
not  need  them,  for  an  old  woman  like  me  can  live 
on  very  little. 

"  I  wish  you  would  write  to  me  sometimes,  or  ask 
Herbert  to.  I  feel  lonely,  and  it  would  be  a  great 
favor  to  me.  If  it  were  not  so  far,  I  would  ask  you 
and  Herbert  to  come  over  and  spend  a  day  or  two 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  123 

with  me.     Perhaps  you  can  manage  to  do  it  some 
time.     Only  don't  delay  too  long,  for  I  am  getting 
old,  and  can't  expect  to  live  much  longer. 
"  Your  affectionate  aunt, 

"  Nancy  Carter." 

"  How  good  of  Aunt  Nancy !  "  said  Mrs.  Carter, 
folding  up  the  letter.  "  If  her  brother  had  possessed 
her  kind  heart,  we  should  be  better  off  to-day." 

''  It  came  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  mother.  How 
lucky!" 

"  Say,  rather,  how  providential,  my  son.  We 
owe  this  good  fortune  to  the  kindness  of  God.  He 
will  not  see  us  want." 

"  Of  course  you  are  right,  mother ;  but  I  am 
thinking  the  squire  won't  regard  it  in  the  same  light. 
He  will  be  terribly  disappointed,  for  he  thinks  he 
has  got  us  in  his  power." 

"  I  am  thankful  that  this  is  to  be  our  home  for 
six  months  more." 

"  Longer  than  that,  mother.  I  am  earning  some- 
thing now,  you  know,  and  before  I  do  anything  else 
I  will  save  up  money  to  pay  our  next  interest." 

"  Squire  Leech  is  coming  back,"  said  Mrs.  Car- 
ter, who  had  been  looking  out  of  the  window. 

"  See  how  briskly  he  walks !  "  said  Herbert.  "  I 
don't  think  he'll  be  so  cheerful  when  he  leaves  the 
house." 


i24         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  don't  think  we  ought  to  exult  in  his  disap- 
pointment, Herbert." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  mother,"  said  Herbert,  laugh- 
ing; "and  I'm  not  ashamed  of  it,  either.  You  are 
carrying  benevolence  too  far." 

Here  the  squire's  knock  was  heard,  and  Herbert 
went  to  admit  him. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

HOW    THE    SQUIRE    WAS    CIRCUMVENTED 

The  squire  was  in  very  good  spirits.  AH  the 
way  back  from  the  post  office  he  had  been  congratu- 
lating himself  on  the  elegant  bargain  he  was  about 
to  make.  There  was  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  also 
at  the  personal  triumph  he  had  achieved.  The 
widow  and  her  son  had  been  obliged  to  yield  up  to 
him,  notwithstanding  their  unwillingness.  Squire 
Leech  thought  more  of  Herbert  in  the  matter  than  of 
his  mother,  for  he  was  convinced  that  but  for  him 
he  could  have  talked  over  Mrs.  Carter  six  months 
before. 

"  Serves  the  boy  right,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  It 
was  preposterous  in  him  to  oppose  my  wishes.  He 
might  have  known  I  would  advise  what  was  best." 

Probably  the  squire  meant  what  was  best  for  him. 
He  had  not  given  much  thought  to  what  would  be 
best  for  Mrs.  Carter. 

"  Some  men  would  take  advantage  of  their  situ- 
ation and  reduce  their  offer,"  thought  the  squire, 
virtuously,  "  but  I  won't  be  hard  on  them.  They 
shall  have  the  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars." 

125 


126    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

This  was  the  thought  that  was  passing'  through 
his  mind  as  he  knocked  at  the  door  for  the  second 
time. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  cheerfully,  as  Herbert  opened 
the  door,  "  I  have  returned.  I  believe  I  have  given 
you  the  time  I  agreed  upon." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Herbert.     "  Please  walk  in." 

The  squire  expected  to  find  him  sober  and  de- 
pressed, but  in  spite  of  himself  Herbert  could  not 
help  looking  in  good  spirits.  This  puzzled  the 
squire  a  little,  but  he  said  to  himself :  "  Probably 
they  have  decided  that  my  offer  wasn't  so  bad  a  one, 
after  all." 

Squire  Leech  walked  again  into  the  little  sitting 
room,  where  Mrs.  Carter  was  awaiting  him. 

"  Well,"  said  the  village  magnate,  clearing  his 
throat ;  "  well,  Mrs.  Carter,  now  that  you  have  had 
time  to  think  over  my  proposal,  you  have  probably 
seen  its  advantages." 

"  I  should  not  be  willing  to  give  up  the  house,  sir. 
My  husband  built  it,  and " 

The  squire's  brows  darkened.  What  a  perverse, 
obstinate  woman  she  was ! 

56  That  ain't  the  question,"  he  exclaimed,  pound- 
ing his  cane  on  the  floor  in  his  excitement.  "  There 
are  many  things  we  don't  want  to  do  that  we've  got 
to  do.  You  stand  in  your  own  light,  ma'am,  but  it's 
of  no  use.     I  have  my  rights,  let  me  observe." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  127 

"  We  don't,  deny  that,  sir,"  interposed  Herbert, 
who  enjoyed  the  squire's  excitement,  knowing-  how  it 
must  end. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  squire ;  "  but  it 
appears  to  me  you  think  you  and  your  mother  are 
the  only  persons  to  be  considered  in  this  matter." 

"  I  think  my  mother  is  entitled  to  some  consider- 
ation." 

"Haven't  I  considered  her?  Haven't  I  offered 
her  in  a  most  liberal  price  for  the  place  ?  " 

"  We  don't  call  it  liberal." 

"  Then  you  are.  unreasonable.  Many  men  in  my 
position  would  offer  less.  Indeed,  I  don't  think  I 
ought  to  offer  more  than  three  hundred  dollars,  .but 
as  a  favor  to  your  mother  I  keep  to  my  old  offer." 

"  We  would  thank  you,  Squire  Leech,  if  we  could 
•see  any  favor  in  offering  three  or  four  hundred  dol- 
lars less  than  the  house  is  worth." 

"  We  have  had  enough  of  this  nonsense,"  said  the 
squire,  angrily.  "  It  is  not  too  late  to  withdraw 
my  offer." 

"  You  had  better  withdraw  it,"  said  Herbert, 
composedly,  "  for  mother  and  I  have  decided  to  re- 
fuse it." 

"  Refuse  it !  "  gasped  the  squire,  looking  almost 
apoplectic  with  surprise  and  rage.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  such  outrageous  impudence  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be  considered  impudence 


128         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

to  refuse  an  offer.  We  are  not  obliged  to  accept 
every  offer  made  us." 

"You  are  obliged  to  accept  this!"  cried  Squire 
Leech,  stamping  his  cane  upon  the  floor  again. 
"  You  know  there  is  no  help  for  it." 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out,  sir?  "  inquired  our 
hero,  calmly. 

"  You  can't  pay  the  interest."  • 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  we  are  ready  to  pay  the 
interest." 

"  I  mean  the  whole  of  the  interest." 

"  So  do  I." 

"  It  must  be  paid  at  once." 

"  It  shall  be  paid  at  once,  Squire  Leech.  Please 
make  out  a  receipt."^ 

Squire  Leech  was  never  more  astonished  in  his 
life.  He  was  not  convinced  till  Herbert  produced 
what  he  could  distinguish  as  two  ten-dollar  bills  and 
one  five. 

■'  There  will  be  two  dollars  and  a  half  change," 
said  Herbert,  in  a  business-like  manner. 

"Where  did  you  get  this  money?"  gasped  the 
squire. 

"  It  belongs  to  us,  sir.  Don't  be  afraid  to  take 
it." 

"  Did  you  bo  row  it?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  What  did  you  mean  by  telling  me  you  could 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  129 

fiot  pay  the  interest  when  I  was  here  at  twelve 
o'clock?" 

"  We  could  not  then,  or  thought  we  could  not." 

"  Then  how  can  you  pay  me  now  ?  " 

"  We  received  some  money  in  a  letter  this  morn- 
ing. The  letter  had  not  been  opened  when  you 
were  here,  so  we  didn't  know  we  could  meet  your 
claims." 

Squire  Leech  was  very  angry.  He  felt  that  he 
had  been  defeated,  and  that  triumph  had  slipped 
over  to  the  other  side.  But  he  resolved  to  make 
one  more  attempt. 

"  I  have  the  right  to  refuse  this  money,"  he  said. 
"  It  comes  too  late.  It  should  have  been  paid  at 
twelve." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Squire  Leech ;  you  your- 
self gave  us  time  to  consult  what  to  do." 

"  Because,"  said  the  squire,  unguardedly,  "  I 
thought  you  could  not  pay  the  interest." 

Herbert  could  not  help  smiling. 

"  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  what  you  thought," 
he  said.  "  The  fact  is,  you  gave  us  a  little  time, 
and  we  have  decided  to  pay  you  the  interest.  Be 
kind  enough  to  sign  the  receipt." 

The  squire  frowned  and  bit  his  lips  with  vexa- 
tion. He  tried  to  think  of  some  way  of  getting 
over  the  difficulty,  but  none  presented  itself.  As  he 
dashed  off  the  signature,  and  took  the  money,  he 


130         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

said,  angrily:  "  You  think  you  have  got  the  better 
of  me,  but  the  time  will  come  when  I  will  have  this 
place  yet.  Your  convenient  letters  won't  always 
come  just  in  the  nick  of  time." 

"  I  hope  to  be  prepared  for  you  next  time,  with- 
out having  to  depend  on  that." 

Still  the  squire  lingered.  The  fact  was  that, 
though  very  angry,  he  was  anxious  to  know  from 
whom  Mrs.  Carter  had  received  this  opportune  help. 

"  Who  sent  you  this  letter?"  he  asked. 

/'  I  don't  think  we  need  to  tell  you  that,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  tell,"  said  Mrs.  Carter. 
"  It  was  my  aunt,  Nancy  Carter,  of  Randolph,  who 
so  kindly  remembered  us." 

"  I  wish  she'd  kept  back  her  letter  a  day  or  two," 
thought  the  squire. 

"  Is  she  rich?  "  he  asked,  abruptly. 

"  No ;  she  has  a  very  modest  income  left  by  her 
brother ;  but  her  wants  are  few,  and  she  thought  we 
might  need  help.     She  has  a  good  heart." 

"  Confound  her  good  heart!  "  thought  the  squire. 

"  Well,  ma'am,  as  my  business  is  over,  I  will 
leave  you,"  said  the  squire,  sulkily.  "  As  for  that 
boy  of  yours,"  pointing  his  finger  at  Herbert,  "  I 
advise  you  to  teach  him  better  manners.  He  won't 
gain  anything  by  his  impertinence.  If  he  had  acted 
differently  I  would  have  given  him  employment,  or 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         131 

got  my  superintendent  to  do  so.  Now,  of  course, 
that  is  out  of  the  question." 

"  I  should  have  been  unable  to  accept  it,  Squire 
Leech,"  said  Herbert.  "  I  have  made  an  engage- 
ment already." 

The  squire  had  forgotten  this,  and  it  was  mortify- 
ing to  learn  that  his  patronage  was  of  no  impor- 
tance to  the  boy  whom  he  detested. 

"  Good-morning !  "  he  said,  abruptly,  and  left  the 
•room. 

"  I  am  afraid,  Herbert,  you  treated  the  squire 
disrespectfully,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  when  the  great 
man  had  left  the  house. 

"  I  don't  think  so,  mother,  unless  to  oppose  his 
wishes  is  to  be  disrespectful." 

"  He  spoke  as  if  he  thought  you  did." 

"  I  know  that,  but  he  wouldn't  if  he  hadn't  been 
unreasonable.  But,  mother,  you  know  I've  got  to 
go  to  the  hotel  in  fifteen  minutes.  Just  give  me  a 
bite,  for  I'm  awful  hungry." 

So  the  day  which  Herbert  had  so  much  dreaded  in 
advance  was  marked  by  two  pieces  of  good  luck. 
No  wonder  Herbert's  heart  was  light,  and  the  future 
looked -brighter  to  him  than  at  any  time  since  his 
father's  death. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

HERBERT    BECOMES    A    PROFESSOR 

When  Herbert  reached  the  hotel,  he  went  up  at 
once  to  Mr.  Cameron's  room. 

"I  believe  I  am  a  little  late,"  he  said,  apologeti- 
cally ;  "  but  I  was  detained  at  home  by  a  matter  of 
business." 

:'  You  are  young  to  have  your  time  occupied  by 
matters  of  business,"  said  the  young  man,  smiling. 

"Yes,"  said  Herbert;  "if  my  father  were  alive 
it  would  not  devolve  upon  me,  but  my  mother  gen- 
erally consults  with  me." 

"  I  hope  your  business  was  arranged  satisfac- 
torily."   . 

"  Yes,  but  it  came  near  turning  out  otherwise, 
If  it  were  not  intruding  upon  your  time  I  would  like 
to  tell  you  about  it." 

"  Do  so,"  said  Mr.  Cameron,  kindly.  "  I  shall 
be  interested  in  whatever  affects  you." 

Herbert  gave  an  account  of  Squire  Leech's  at- 
tempts to  get  possession  of  their  cottage,  an  account 
which  need  not  be  repeated  here. 

"  But  for  that  letter  of  Aunt  Nancy's,"  he  con- 
132 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  133 

eluded,  "  we  should  have  been  obliged  to  part  with 
our  house/' 

"  And  all  for  the  paltry  sum  of  twenty-two  dol- 
lars and  a  half?  " 

"  It  wasn't  paltry  to  us." 

"  No,  to  be  sure.  Why  didn't  .you  tell  me  this 
morning?     I  would  have  lent  you  the  money." 

"You  would?"  exclaimed  Herbert. 
x     "  With  pleasure." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  our  hero,  grate- 
fully; "but  I  shouldn't  have  dared  to  ask  such  a 
favor  of  a  stranger." 

"  I  must  tell  you  that  this  Squire  Leech  has  prob- 
ably taken  advantage  of  your  ignorance  of  business. 
I  don't  know  exactly  how  the  law  is  in  this  State, 
but  I  presume  that,  so  far  as  the  squire  being  au- 
thorized to  take  immediate  possession  of  your  place, 
he  would  be  obliged  to  give  legal  notice  of  sale,  on 
foreclosure  of  mortgage,  by  advertisement  in  some 
weekly  paper.  This  would  allow  of  sale  at  auction, 
at  which  it  would,  of  necessity,  go  to  the  highest 
bidder." 

"  I  didn't  know  that,"  said  Herbert.  "  I  sup- 
posed the  squire  could  order  us  out  immediately, 
and  take  possession  at  his  own  price." 

"  Squire  Leech  certainly  knew  better  than  that, 
but  he  evidently  wanted  to  frighten  your  mother 
into  selling  to  him  at  a  sacrifice." 


134    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  That  was  mean,"  said  Herbert,  indignantly, 
"  and  he  a  rich  man,  too." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Cameron, 
"  If  you  have  any  further  difficulty  with  this  grasp- 
ing capitalist,  come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  you  the 
best  advice  I  can." 

"  I  will,  Mr.  Cameron,  and  thank  you  for  your 
advice.  You  have  relieved  my  mind.  I  will  tell 
mother  what  you  say.  What  would  you  like  to 
have  me  read  first?  " 

■■  We  will  put  off  the  reading  for  a  short  time.  I 
want  to  ask  you  a  few  more  questions  about  yourself, 
not  out  of  curiosity,  but  because  I  may,  if  I  under- 
stand your  circumstances,  some  time  have  it  in  my 
power  to  serve  you."  / 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  tell  you 
anything.  I  was  afraid  you  would  not  feel  inter- 
ested in  our  affairs." 

"  You  are  my  private  secretary  now,  and  that  in- 
sures my  interest.  How  long  since  did  your  father 
die?" 

"  A  little  over  a  year." 

"  What  was  his  business  ?  " 

"  When  he  was  a  young  man  he  was  employed  in 
a  manufactory  near  Providence,  but  the  confinement 
injured  his  health,  and  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade.  It  was  an  out-of-door  business,  and  much 
better  for  him." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    135 

"  I  shouldn't  think '  there  would  be  much  for  a 
carpenter  to  do  in  a  small  village  like  this." 

"  My  father  managed  to  make  a  comfortable  liv- 
ing, but  that  was  all.  At  the  time  he  died,  he  con- 
sidered that  our  house  was  mortgaged  for  only  half 
its  value,  but  Squire  Leech  thinks  otherwise." 

"  Squire  Leech  wants  to  get  possession  of  your 
place,  and  that  warps  his  judgment  unintentionally, 
I  presume.  So  that  was  all  your  father  was  able  to 
leave  you  ?  " 

'Yes,  sir;  no,  not  quite  all,"  said  Herbert,  cor- 
recting himself ;  "  there  was  something  else  which 
father  seemed  to  think  was  worth  something,  but  I 
am  afraid  it  will  never  do  us  any  good." 

"  What  is  that?  "  asked  Mr.  Cameron,  with  some 
interest. 

"  He  was  at  work  in  his  leisure  for  the  last  two 
years  of  his  life  on  an  invention." 

"An  invention!     Of  what  nature?" 

"  You  know  I  told  you  he  was  employed  in  a  cot- 
ton manufactory  when  a  young  man.  This  made 
him  familiar  with  the  process  of  spinning  and  weav- 
ing. He  thought  he  could  make  an  improvement  in 
some  of  the  machinery  used,  and  he  worked  out  his 
idea  in  a  wooden  model.  He  had  just  completed 
it  before  he  died." 

"  Have  you  the  model?  "  asked  Cameron,,  with 
interest. 


336    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

li  Yes,  sir,  and  also  a  written  paper  describing 
the  invention.  A  few  days  before  he  died  father 
called  me  to  his  bedside,  and  told  me  that  he  wanted 
me  some  day  to  show  his  invention  to  a  manufac- 
turer, and  get  his  opinion  of  it.  He  said  that  he 
hoped  some  time  it  would  be  a  source  of  profit  t© 
mother  and  myself." 

"  Have  you  ever  done  as  he  advised  ?  "  asked 
Cameron. 

"  I  have  never  had  an  opportunity,"  said  Herbert. 
"  There  is  no  manufacturing  town  near  here,  and  I 
cannot  afford  to  travel." 

"  I  am  myself  the  son  of  a  cotton  manufacturer,'* 
said  Cameron,  "  and,  though  I  have  never  been  em- 
ployed in  the  business,  I  have  from  my  boyhood 
been  accustomed  to  visit  my  father's  factory.  My 
opinion  may  be  worth  something,  therefore.  If 
you  are  willing  to  let  me  see  this  model  of  your 
father's " 

"  I  shall  be  very  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  will 
look  at  it,"  said  Herbert.  "  I  have  been  afraid  that 
father  exaggerated  its  value,  and  that  it  might  have 
defects  which  would  prevent  its  being  adopted  any- 
where." 

"  I  will  give  you  my  opinion  when  I  have  seen  it. 
And,  now,  suppose  we  set  to  work.  Here  is  a 
treatise  on  logic.  You  may  begin,  and  read  it  vepy 
slowly,  pausing  at  the  end  of  every  paragraph,  till 


HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY  137 

I  tell  you  to  go  on.  I  may  need  to  have  some  para- 
graphs read  over  two  or  three  times." 

Herbert  began  to  read  as  he  had  been  requested. 
I  am  obliged  to  say  that  for  the  first  two  or  three 
times  he  took  very  little  interest  in  his  subject,  and 
privately  thought  it  very  dry.  In  fact,  it  was  not 
till  he  began  to  read  the  earlier  portions  by  way  of 
review,  that  he  could  comprehend  much  of  it. 

"  Now,"  said  Cameron,  after  he  had  read  half  an 
hour,  "  I  have  something  else  for  you  to  do.  You 
are  not  only  my  reader,  but  I  must  make  you  my 
teacher,  too." 

Herbert  laughed. 

"  I  think  you'll  have  to  get  somebody  that  knows 
more  than  I,  then,"  he  said.  "  I  wouldn't  venture  to 
teach  a  college  student." 

"  I  mean  that  you  shall  hear  my  lessons.  I  want 
you  to  imagine  yourself  a  college  professor,  and  ask 
me  questions  on  what  you  have  just  read." 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  ?  " 

:i  You  may  bungle  a  little  at  first,  but  you'll  im- 
prove. If  you  do  well,  when  I  get  through  with  you 
I  will  try  to  get  you  a  professor's  chair  at  some  col- 
lege." 

"  I  should  like  that,  if  professors  get  well  paid." 

"  They  generally  get  more  than  five  dollars  a 
week ;  but  that  is  all  that  I  can  afford  to  pay  at  pres- 
ent." 


138  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I'm  only  an  apprentice,"  said  Herbert,  smiling, 
"  and  am  quite  satisfied." 

According  to  directions,  Herbert  began  to  ques- 
tion Cameron  on  what  he  had  been  reading.  He 
did  not  find  it  altogether  easy,  partly  from  want  of 
practice,  partly  because  the  subject  was  one  he  knew 
nothing  about.  But  whenever  blunders  were  made 
Cameron  laughed  good-naturedly,  and  the  young 
professor  joined  in  the  merriment. 

"  We'll  take  political  economy  next,"  said  the  stu- 
dent.    "  You  won't  find  that  so  dry  as  logic." 

This  proved  to  be  so.  Though  political  economy 
is  generally  studied  in  the  junior  or  senior  year  at 
college,  its  principles,  if  familiarly  illustrated,  are 
not  beyond  the  comprehension  of  a  boy  of  fifteen. 
He  found  himself  reading  with  interest,  and  when 
he  came  to  act  the  role  of  professor,  and  question 
his  pupil,  he  acquitted  himself  more  creditably  than 
with  logic. 

"  I  think,"  said  Cameron,  "  I  shall  recommend 
you  for  the  chair  of  political  economy.  You  seem 
more  familiar  with  it  than  with  logic." 

"  I  like  it  much  better,"  said  Herbert. 

"  So  do  I.  Still,  logic  is  important  in  its  way. 
To-morrow  I  must  try  you  on  Latin." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  won't  be  much  use,"  said  our 
hero.  "  I  have  studied  it  a  little  two  winters,  when 
we  had  a  college  student  keeping  our  winter  school, 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         139 

but  I  only  translated  through  the  life  of  Joseph  in 
'  Andrews'  Latin  Lessons.'  " 

"  If  you  know  as  much  as  that  you  will  answer 
my  purpose  better  than  I  anticipated.  Now,  if  you 
don't  object,  we'll  vary  our  programme,  and  take  a 
walk.  You  shall  show  me  the  houses  of  Wray- 
burn." 

"  The  houses  of  Wrayburn  are  four  in  number," 
said  Herbert ;  "  two  churches,  the  town  hall,  and 
Squire  Leech's  house." 

"  There's  another  walk  which  I  prefer  to  either 
of  these  four;  I  mean  to  Prospect  Pond.  Suppose 
we  walk  over  to  it." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to,"  said  Herbert. 

"  You  are  a  very  accommodating  professor," 
said  Cameron.  "  You  are  willing  to  let  me  off  from 
Study  when  I  feel  lazy." 


CHAPTER  XX 


PROSPECT    POND 


It  was  a  beautiful  afternoon,  and  Herbert  was 
very  well  satisfied  to  lay  books  aside  and  walk  over 
to  Prospect  Pond. 

This  pond  was  about  a  mile  from  the  village,  and 
probably  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  circuit.  At  the 
further  end  was  a  small  hill  crowned  with  forest 
trees. 

"  That  would  be  a  fine  situation  for  a  house,"  said 
Mr.  Cameron,  pointing  to  the  hill  opposite. 

'  Yes,"  said  Herbert,  "  but  it  would  be  hard  to 
get  at." 

"  Oh,  of  course  a  road  would  have  to  be  built  con- 
necting with  the  highway.  Perhaps  you  will  build 
a  house  there  when  you  are  a  rich  man." 

"  Then  I  shall  have  to  wait  a  few  years,"  said 
Herbert,  smiling. 

"  You  wouldn't  be  the  first  poor  boy  that  has 
grown  rich.  I  needn't  go  far  for  an  example.  My 
own  father  is  accounted  rich  now,  but  when  he  was 
of  your  age  he  was  only  a  poor  bobbin  boy,  work- 

140 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  141 

mg  at  scanty  pay  in  the  factory  of  which  he  is  now 
owner." 

"  I  should  like  to  be  rich,  for  my  mother's  sake," 
said  Herbert. 

"  With  money  one  can  do  a  great  deal  of  good, 
though  not  all  rich  men  choose  to  apply  their  riches 
worthily.  How  smooth  the  water  is  to-day!  Isn't 
there  a  boat  somewhere  that  we  can  use?  " 

"  There's  one  a  few  rods  from  here,  but  it  be- 
longs to  James  Leech." 

"  You  mean  Squire  Leech  ?  " 

"  No,  I  mean  his  son." 

"  Would  it  do  to  take  it,  do  you  think?  " 

"  It  might  do  for  you,  but  not  for  me." 

"  Why  not  for  you  ?  " 

"  James  and  I  are  not  very  good  friends." 

"Why  not?" 

"  He  looks  down  upon  me  because  I  am  poor." 

"  So  he  is  inclined  to  put  on  airs,  on  account  of 
his  father's  money?" 

"  I  should  say  he  is." 

"  Let  us  go  and  see  the  boat,  at  any  rate." 

Herbert  led  the  way  through  a  meadow  to  a 
clump  of  trees,  where  a  small  rowboat  floated  upon 
the  water,  fastened  by  a  rope  to  the  trunk  of  one  of 
the  trees. 

"  That's  the  boat,  is  it  ?  "  asked  Cameron. 

«  Yes." 


142    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Does  Leech  often  go  out  in  it  ?  " 

"  Two  or  three  times  a  week." 

"  It  is  just  about  large  enough  for  two,  though  it 
would  easily  accommodate  one  more." 

"  Yes." 

"If  I  thought  your  friend  would  not  be  round  I 
should  be  tempted  to  try  it  for  half  an  hour." 

"  I  think  you  might  venture." 

"  Jump  in,  then,  and  we'll  push  out.  Here  are 
the  oars." 

Herbert  shook  his  head. 

"  If  the  boat  belonged  to  anyone  but  James  Leech 
I  would  go;  but  I  don't  like  him  well  enough  to  take 
any  liberty  with  anything  of  his." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right.  Would  you  mind  sit- 
ting down  under  the  tree,  and  waiting  for  me  twenty 
minutes,  or  half  an  hour?  " 

"  Oh,  no;   it  will  be  pleasant." 

"  Then  here  goes." 

Cameron  jumped  into  the  boat,  pushed  off,  and 
began  to  row  in  a  style  that  showed  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  the  exercise.  The  pond  was  so  small  that 
it  was  not  easy  for  him  to  get  out  of  sight. 

Herbert  sat  down  under  the  trees,  and  looked 
after  him,  not  without  a  secret  longing  to  be  in  the 
boat  also ;  but  he  did  not  care  to  place  himself  under 
any  obligations  to  James,  and  was  not  sorry  he  had 
declined  to  go. 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         143 

Suddenly  he  heard  a  hasty  step  behind  him. 
Looking  up,  he  saw  the  owner  of  the  boat  close  at 
hand. 

James  Leech  looked  for  his  boat,  and  saw  that  it 
was  gone.     Then  his  gaze  fell  upon  our  hero. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  my  boat,  Carter  ?  " 
he  demanded,  peremptorily. 

"  What  makes  you  ask  such  a  question,  Leech  ?  " 
answered  Herbert. 

"  Why  do  you  call  me  Leech  ?  "  said  James,  an- 
grily. 

"  For  the  same  reason  you  call  me  Carter,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  There's  a  great  difference  between  us,"  said 
James,  haughtily. 

"  That's   true,"   assented   Herbert. 

';  And  you  ought  to  treat  me  with  proper 
respect." 

"  I  treat  you  wfch  all  the  respect  you  deserve," 
said  Herbert,  not  permitting  himself  to  be  over- 
awed by  the  young  patrician. 

1  You  haven't  answered  my  question,"  said 
James,  finding  that  he  had  gained  nothing  in  the 
discussion  of  their  relative  positions. 

"What  question?" 

"Where  is  my  boat?" 

"  Out  on  the  pond.  Look  in  that  direction,  and 
you  will  see  it." 


144  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

James  looked  where  Herbert  pointed,  and  dis- 
covered the  boat. 

"Who  is  that  in  that  boat?"  he  demanded,  an* 
grily. 

"Mr.  Cameron." 

"  Who's  he?".  - 

"  A  boarder  at  the  hotel." 

"  Is  it  the  young  man  from  Yale  College  ?  My 
father  was  speaking  of  him  this  morning,"  said 
James,  moderating  his  tone  very  considerably. 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I  don't  mind.  My  father  says  he  is  very 
rich.  I  suppose  I  shall  be  introduced  to  him  soon," 
said  James,  complacently. 

"  If  you  will  wait  a  few  minutes  till  he  comes 
ashore,  I  will  introduce  you,"  said  Herbert. 

"  You !  What  do  you  know  of  him  ?  "  sneered 
James. 

"  I  passed  the  afternoon  with  him,"  said  Herbert. 
"We  came  down  here  together." 

"  He  must  be -hard  up  for  company,"  said  James, 
with  another  sneer. 

"Look  here,  James  Leech,"  said  Herbert,  his 
eyes  .flashing ;  "  I've  had  enough  of  that  kind  of 
talk.  I  don't  intend  to  submit  to  your  impudence. 
When  you  speak  to  me,  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your 
head." 

"  I  never  heard  such  impudence,"  °*M  Tames,  as- 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         145 

tonished.  "What  do  you  mean  by  addressing  me  in 
that  style  ?  " 

"  What  do  I  mean  ?  I  mean  to  warn  you  to  be 
civil." 

"  Look  here,  Carter !  I'll  tell  my  father  of  this, 
and  he'll  turn  you  out  of  house  and  home,"  ex- 
claimed James,  furiously. 

"  He  hasn't  the  power,  fortunately,"  said  Her- 
bert, coolly. 

"  Hasn't  "he  got  a  mortgage  on  your  place?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  the  interest  was  paid  to-day  and  no 
more  will  be  due  for  six  months." 

"  Where  did  you  get  the  money  to  pay  the  in- 
terest? "  asked  James,  who  had  not  seen  his  father 
since  morning. 

"  That's  no  business  of  yours.  It  is  enough  for 
you  to  know  that  it  is  paid,  and  that  your  father 
has  no  more  control  over  us  than  we  have  over 
him." 

James  was  disappointed.  He  had  expected,  from 
what  his  father  told  him,  that  the  interest  would  not 
be  paid,  and  that  Mrs.  Carter  and  Herbert  would 
be  at  his  father's  mercy.  It  was  certainly  surpris- 
ing that  they  had  raised  the  necessary  money. 

He  decided  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Are  you  waiting  here  for  Mr.  Cameron?  "  asked 
James. 

"Yes." 


146    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  to.  He  probably  is  not 
anxious  to  retain  your  company." 

"  As  you  don't  even  know  him,  I  don't  think  your 
opinions  as  to  his  wishes  of  much  importance." 

"  I  wouldn't  thrust  myself  upon  him,  if  I  were 
you." 

"  Thank  you,   I  don't  intend  to." 

"  Did  you  say  you  spent  the  afternoon  with 
him?" 

"  Yes,  at  his  invitation." 

"  I  suppose  you  fell  in  with  him  by  accident.  He 
probably  don't  know  who  you  are." 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  does.  He  knows  all  about  me.  I 
am  going  to  spend  to-morrow  afternoon  with  him 
also,"  said  Herbert,  delighting  to  mystify  his  com- 
panion. 

"  He  won't  care  to  have  you  call  much  longer," 
said  James.  "  My  aunt  knows  him.  She  has 
written  to  my  father  about  him,  and  he  will  invite 
Mr.  Cameron  to  call  at  our  house  often." 

"  I  have  no  objection,"  said  Herbert,  "  but  I  don't 
think  it  will  make  any  difference  to  me,  as  I  am 
Mr.  Cameron's  private  secretary." 

"  What  ?  "  exclaimed  James,  in  surprise. 

Herbert  repeated  his  assertion. 

"  Private  secretary !     What  do  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  read  to  him,  as  his  eyes  are  poor,  and  I  sup- 
pose I  shall  write  for  him  when  he  needs  it." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         147 

"  What  does  he  pay  you?  " 

"  I  don't  know  as  that  concerns'  you  particularly. 
Still,  I  don't  mind  telling  you.  He  pays  me  five 
dollars  a  week." 

"  That's  a  good  deal  more  than  you're  worth," 
said  James,  bluntly.     • 

"  I  think  so  myself,  especially  as  I  only  spend  the 
afternoon  with  him." 

James  was  quite  annoyed  to  find  that  the  boy  he 
disliked  was  prospering  so  well.  He  was  about  to 
make  another  unpleasant  remark,  when  Herbert 
suddenly  exclaimed : 

"  He's  turned  the  boat  and  is  rowing  in. 
Doesn't  he  row  beautifully?" 

The  young  collegian  was  impelling  the  boat  to- 
wards its  mooring  place  with  easy  but  vigorous 
strokes. 

The  same  thought  sprang  up  in  the  minds  of  both 
boys :  "  I  wish  I  could  row  like  that." 


CHAPTER  XXI 


ROWING 


The  little  boat  touched  its  moorings  and  Cam- 
eron jumped  out. 

"  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  Herbert,  "  allow  me  to  in- 
troduce to  you  the  owner  of  the  boat,  Mr.  James 
Leech." 

"  Mr.  Leech,"  said  Cameron,  "  I  have  to  apolo- 
gize for  taking  your  boat  without  leave.  I  am  fond 
of  rowing  and  there  was  no  other  to  be  had.  I  hope 
I  haven't  kept  you  waiting  for  it." 

If  the  young  collegian  had  not  been  the  son  of  a 
Wealthy  man  whose  social  position  was  higher  than 
his  own.  James  would  not  so  readily  have  accepted 
the  apology-  As  it  was.  he  said,  graciously:  "Oh, 
it's  no  matter.  I'm  glad  you  took  the  boat.  How 
beautifully  you  row  !  " 

"  Thank  you  for  the  compliment.  I  have  rowed 
a  good  deal.  -  Last  year  I  belonged  to  the  Sopho- 
more crew  at  Yale." 

"  I  wish  I  could  row  as  well  as  you." 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  practice.  If  I  can  give  you 
any  hints  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so." 

148 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  149 

"  Thank  you,"  said  James,  eagerly.  "  Would 
you  have  time  this  afternoon?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  an  hour  to  spare.  If  you  and  my 
friend  Herbert  will  get  into  the  boat,  and  row  out 
a  little  way,  I  shall  get  an  idea  of  your  style  of  row- 
ing, and  will  tell  you  how  you  can  improve." 

This  did  not  suit  James. 

"  I  would  rather  row  out  alone,"  he  said,  haugh- 
tily, with  a  disparaging  look  at  Herbert. 

"  Unfortunately  that  won't  do  as  well.  You 
must  learn  to  row  with  one  oar  first." 

"  Then  suppose  you  get  into  the  boat  with 
me." 

"  That  won't  do  as  well.  I  am  much  heavier 
than  you.  Now  you  and  Herbert  are,  I  should 
think,  about  the  same  weight." 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  James,  and  turning  to 
Herbert  he  said,  ungraciously :  "  Will  you  row  with 
me?" 

"  If  you  desire  it,"  said  Herbert. 

"  Get  in,  then." 

They  both  got  into  the  boat,  and  took  up  the 
oars.  \ 

Neither  was  a  good  rower,  nor  was  there  any 
particular  superiority  on  either  side. 

When  they  returned,  Cameron  made  some  criti- 
cisms upon  their  rowing,  and  gave  them  some  coun- 
sel.    They  started  out  again,  but  Herbert  profited 


iSo  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

better  by  the  instructions  he  had  received,  and  the 
young  collegian  said  so  when  they  returned. 

James  was  far  from  liking  this,  and  when  Cam- 
eron asked  him  if  he  would  try  another  row,  he  an- 
swered:  "  No,  I  am  tired  of  it." 

"  If  you  get  tired  so  soon,"  said  Cameron,,."  I  am 
afraid  you  will  have  to  strengthen  your  arms  by 
gmnastic  exercises." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  tired  in  that  way !  I  don't  feel 
like  rowing  any  more." 

"  Then  suppose  we  walk  back  to  the  village. 
Does  your  way  lie  with  ours?  " 

"  Nearly  all  the  way,"  said  James,  proceeding  to 
fasten  the  boat. 

He  enjoyed  the  idea  of  walking  with  the  collegian, 
but  it  was  rather  a  drawback  that  Herbert  was  to 
share  that  pleasure  with  him.  Still  he  could  not 
very  well  suggest  that  Herbert  should  leave  them, 
and  so  resigned  himself  to  circumstances. 

"Have  you  seen  my  father's  house?"  asked 
James. 

"  Perhaps  I  may  have  done  so,  without  knowing 
whose  it  was." 

"  You  couldn't  help  knowing  it.  It  is  the  best 
in  the  village,"  said  James,  pompously. 

Cameron  looked  at  "him  curiously. 

"  If  he  comes  to  Yale,"  he  thought,  "  and  puts  on 
these  airs,  he'll  be  taken  down  without  ceremony." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         151 

"  Oh,  indeed !  "  he  said,  aloud,  dryly. 

"  Are  you  going  to  stay  here  long?  "  asked  James. 

■'  I  can't  say  how  long.  I  am  here  for  my 
health." 

"  You  must  come  and  see  us.  My  father  will  be 
very  glad  to  see  you.  His  sister,  my  aunt,  has 
written  us  about  you." 

"  Indeed !    May  I  ask  your  aunt's  name  ?  " 

"  Her  name  is  Davenport — Mrs.  John  Daven- 
port.    She  lives  in  New  Haven." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  met  her." 

Cameron  smiled  to  himself.  The  lady  referred 
to  was  not  unlike  her  brother  and  nephew,  being 
pompous  and  presuming — one,  indeed,  whom  he 
secretly  disliked. 

"  I  don't  know  but  my  aunt  will  make  us  a  visit 
this  summer,"  said  James,  unconscious  of  his  new 
acquaintance's  thoughts-. 

"  No  doubt  she  will  find  it  pleasant,"  said  the  col- 
legian, politely. 

"  She  wants  me  to  prepare  for  Yale,"  said  James. 

"Do  you  think  of  doing  so?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  I  think  you  would  like  it.  Of  course  we  Yale 
men  are  biased,  but  we  think  no  student  can  do  bet-, 
ter  than  to  come  to  Yale." 

"  My  father  wants  me  to  be  a  professional  matt 
—a  lawyer." 


152  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  A  good  profession.  Do  you  think  you  should 
like  it?" 

"  Yes,"  said  James,  complacently.  "  It's  a  very 
genteel  profession.  Besides,  most  of  our  public 
men  are  lawyers.  I  might  stand  a  chance  to  get 
into  public  life." 

"Should  you  like  it?" 

u  Yes,  I  should  like  to  be  a  member  of  Congress. 
My  father  has  a  good  deal  of  influence,  and  I  am 
his  only  son,  so  I  should  have  a  very  good  chance; 
don't  you  think  so?" 

"  It  would  seem  so,"  said  Cameron,  with  a  quiet 
smile.  "  I  think  you  had  better  come  to  Yale. 
You  would  be  improved  in  many  ways." 

He  referred  to  the  possibility  of  James  having 
some  of  the  self-conceit  taken  out  of  him,  but  then 
the  squire's  son  did  not  know  that,  and  interpreted 
the  remark  as  a  compliment  to  himself.  It  was  only 
natural  that  Cameron,  so  he  thought,  should  desire 
to  secure  a  young  man  of  his  social  position  as  an 
accession  to  his  Alma  Mater. 

"  Have  you  ever  thought  of  going  to  college,  Her- 
bert? "  asked  Cameron,  turning  to  our  hero. 

"  I  always  thought  I  should  like  to  go,"  answered 
Herbert,  "  but  I  never  -thought  there  was  any  chance 
of  it." 

James  laughed  scornfully. 

"  No,  I  should  think  not,"  he  said. 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  153 

"Why?"  asked  Cameron,  meaning  to  draw  him 
out. 

"  He's  too  poor,"  said  James. 

"You,  I  suppose,  have  no  trouble  in  that  way?" 

"  My  father  is  the  richest  man  in  Wrayburn," 
said  James,  pompously. 

"  That  is  lucky  for  you,"  said  the  collegian. 

"  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  as  poor  as  Carter,"  con- 
tinued James,  fancying  that  he  had  produced  in 
Cameron  an  idea  of  his  personal  consequence. 

"  That  is  where  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Herbert, 
quietly.  "  It  isn't  pleasant  or  convenient  to  be  poor, 
I  don't  mean  always  to  be  poor." 

"  You  probably  will  be,"  said  James. 

"  How  does  that  follow  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  poor  boy." 

"  Poor  boys  don't  always  stay  poor." 

"  There  isn't  much  chance  for  you  to  rise." 

"  I  don't  know  why,"  said  Herbert. 

"  Then  it  seems,  Herbert,"  said  Cameron,  smil- 
ing, "  there  is  not  much  chance  of  my  welcoming 
you  at  Yale." 

"  I  wish  there  was." 

"  So  you  will  have  to  be  content  with  serving  as 
my  professor  here." 

.  James  did  not  understand  this  allusion,  but  pri- 
vately wondered  how  Cameron  could  talk  so  inti- 
mately with  a  boy  in  Herbert's  low  social  position. 


154         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  turn  off  here,"  he  said,  presently.  "  That  is 
our  house." 

"  Is  it?  "  said  Cameron,  indifferently. 

"  I  hope  you  will  call  on  us." 

"  Thank  you." 

"  Your  friend  seems  to  have  a  very  vain  idea  of 
his  high  position,"  said  Cameron,  when  James  was 
out  of  hearing. 

"  And  a  very  low  idea  of  mine,"  added  Herbert. 

"  Does  that  disturb  you?  " 

"  A  little,  sometimes.  He  carries  it  so  far  as  to 
be  annoying." 

"  Circumstances  may  change  with  you  both," 
said  Cameron. 

"  I  hope  they  may  with  me,"  said  Herbert.  "  I 
don't  want  James  to  come  down  in  the  world,  but  I 
hope  to  rise." 

The  next  day  Cameron  was  honored  by  a  special 
call  from  Squire  Leech,  who  left  an  invitation  for 
the  young  collegian  to  take  tea  with  him  the  fol- 
lowing afternoon.  This  invitation  Cameron  ac- 
cepted. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


ANDREW    TEMPLE 


About  half-past  four  o'clock  one  afternoon  a  tall 
dark-complexioned  man,  wearing  a  white  hat,  in- 
scribed his  name  in  the  register  of  the  Wrayburn 
Hotel. 

"Can  you  tell  me  where  Mr.  Leech  lives?"  he 
inquired  of  the  landlord. 

"  Squire  Leech  ?  " 

"  I  dare  say  he  is  the  one  I  mean." 

"  He  lives  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  here.  I 
can  send  someone  with  you  to  show  you  the  house." 

"  I  wish  you  would." 

Just  then  Herbert  came  downstairs  from  Mr. 
Cameron's  room. 

.  Herbert,"  said  the  landlord,  "  here  is  a  gentle- 
man wants  to  go  to  Squire  Leech's.  Would  you 
mind  showing  him  the  way  ?  " 

"  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure,"  said  our  hero, 
politely.     "  Are  you  ready  to  go  now,  sir  ?  " 

:  ■  Yes,"  said  the  stranger.  "  Landlord,  please 
assign  me  a  room  and  have  my  bag  carried  up." 

M  All  right,  sir." 

155 


156         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Now,  my  lad,  I  am  ready.  It  isn't  far,  is  it?  n 
■    "  About  five  minutes'  walk — that  is  all,  sir." 

"  I  never  was  in  Wrayburn  before — much  going 
on  here?  " 

"  Not  much,  sir.     It  is  a  quiet  town." 

"  Any  manufacturers  ?  " 

"  No,  sir;  not  of  any  account." 

"  Mr.  Leech — Squire  Leech,  I  think  you  call  him 
- — was  an  old  schoolmafe  of  mine.  We  went  to  the 
Brandon  Academy  together.  It  is  many  years  since 
we  met.  I  suppose  he  is  rich,  eh?  "  and  the  stranger 
looked  inquiringly  at  Herbert. 

"  He  is  the  richest  man  in  Wrayburn,"  answered 
Herbert. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  other,  in  a  tone 
of  satisfaction.     "  What  do  you  think  he  is  worth  ?  " 

"  Some  say  seventy-five,  others  a  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars." 

"  Very  good !  "  commented  Andrew  Temple,  for 
this  was  the  name  he  had  inscribed  in  the  hotel 
register — "  for  the  country,  I  mean.  In  the  city 
that  wouldn't  make  a  rich  man." 

"  Wouldn't  it  ?  "  asked  Herbert,  who  had  sup- 
posed a  man  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
would  be  rich  anywhere. 

"  No,  to  be  sure  not.  It  costs  a  great  deal  more 
to  live.  Why,  I  myself  am  worth  something  like 
that ;  but  in  New  York  nobody  regards  me  as  rich.'* 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  157 

"  I  should  feel  rich  with  ten  thousand,"  said  Her- 
bert. 

"  That  would  about  pay  my  expenses  for  a  year," 
said  Temple,  condescendingly. 

"  Squire  Leech  doesn't  spend  anywhere  near  that. 
I  don't  believe  it  costs  him  two  thousand  dollars  a 
year." 

"  Very  likely.  There's  a  great  deal  of  differ- 
ence between  the  country  and  the  city." 

"  Is  it  easy  to  make  money  in  the  city?  "  asked 
Herbert,  interested. 

"  Yes,  if  a  man  is  sharp,  and  has  some  money  to 
start  with.     Do  you  think  of  going  there  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  it  would  be  of  no  use.  I  have  no 
money  to  start  with,  and  I  am  afraid  I  am  not 
smart." 

"  Wait  a  while,  and  I  may  give  you  a  lift. 
Here's  my  card." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Herbert,  as  he  read  on  the 
bit  of  pasteboard :  "  Andrew  Temple,  No.  — ■ 
Nassau  Street,  Room  12." 

"  That's  my  office,"  said  the  stranger.  "  I  specu- 
late in  stocks." 

"  Is  that  a  good  business  ?  " 

"  Capital,  if  you  know  the  ropes.  If  you  ever 
come  to  the  city,  call  at  my  office." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.     Here  we  are  at  Squire  Leech's 

house." 

13    -  - 


158  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you.  Allow  me  to  com- 
pensate you  for  the  trouble."  Mr.  Temple  thrust 
his  thumb  and  forefinger  into  his  vest  pocket. 

"  Oh,  no,  sir,  I  don't  want  pay,"  said  Herbert, 
hurriedly. 

"  But  I  have  put  you  to  trouble." 

"  No,  I  was  on  my  way  home." 

Mr.  Temple  didn't  insist  on  payment.  He  had 
made  the  offer  as  a  matter  of  form  and  was  relieved 
to  find  it  declined.  He  said  "  good-night"  gra- 
ciously, and  advanced  to  the  front  door. 

"  Is  Squire  Leech  at  home?  "  he  inquired  of  the 
servant.. 

"  Yes,  sir;  I  believe  so.     Won't  you  walk  in?  " 

"  Thank  you.  Please  hand  your  master  that 
card." 

Squire  Leech  speedily  presented  himself.  He  did 
not  immediately  recall  Mr.  Temple's  name,  and 
greeted  him  distantly.  Not  so  Mr.  Temple.  He 
rose,  and  shook  the  squire's  passive  hand  energetic- 
ally. 

"  Why,  Leech,  it  seems  like  old  times  seeing  you 
again,"  he  said. 

"  You  have  the  advantage  of  me,"  said  the  squire, 
in  a  puzzled  tone. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you've  forgotten  Tem- 
ple— Andrew  Temple?  Why,  we  were  at  the 
Brandon  Academy  together." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         159 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  remember  you,"  said  Squire 
Leech. 

"  To  be  sure  you  ought.  ^\¥e  were  very  good 
friends  in  the  old  days." 

One  reason  of  the  squire's  distant  manner  was 
that  Mr.  Temple,  though  a  rich  man  according  to 
his  own  account,  had  a  somewhat  seedy,  look.  In 
fact,  he  looked. in  poor  circumstances.  The  squire 
was  afraid  he  intended  to  ask  for  help  on  the  score 
of  old  friendship.  It  was  with  a  hesitating  voice, 
therefore,  that  he  asked :  "  How  has  the  world 
treated  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  nothing  to  complain  of,"  said  Temple, 
cheerfully.  "  I  am  not  rich,  to  be  sure.  Probably 
I  am  not  worth  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, at  the  outside;  but  before  five  years  roll  over 
my  head,  I  see  my  way  clear  to  half  a  million."     ■ 

Squire  Leech's  manner  changed  instantaneously. 
His  old  schoolmate,  instead  of  being  an  applicant 
for  help,  was  quite  as  rich  as  himself,  and  hoping1 
to  be  much  richer. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  he  said,  cordially. 
"  How  long  have  you  been  in  town  ?  " 

"  Only  just  arrived.  I  inquired  my  way  here 
just  as  soon  as  I  found  out  that  you  were  living 
here." 

"  Are  you  at  the  hotel  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  left  my  luggage  there  " 


160    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  You  must  come  up  and  stop  with  me.  We  will 
talk  over  old  times."  \ 

"  Thank  you ;  it  would  be  much  pleasanter  for  me, 
of  course.  In  fact,  I  came  to  Wrayburn  on  account 
of  )rour  being  here.  I  happened  to  be  in  the  neigh- 
borhood on  business,  and,  though  time  is  precious, 
I  said,  '  I  must  see  Leech  at  any  rate.'  So  here  I 
am.  But  I  haven't  asked  after  you.  Fortune  has 
smiled  on  you,  I  hope?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  squire,  "  I  am  comfortable." 

"  The  boy  that  guided  me  here  said  that  you  were 
the  richest  man  in  Wrayburn." 

"  I  believe  I  am,"  said  the  squire,  complacently. 
"  I  am  worth  somewhere  about  the  same  as  you." 

"  That's  very  fair ;  in  fact,  it  is  more  for  you 
than  for  me.  Wliy,  it  costs  me  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year  to  live  in  the  city." 

"Does  it?"  inquired  Squire  Leech,  with  con- 
siderable respect. 

"  I've  sometimes  thought  of  going  to  the  country, 
where  my  expenses  would  be  much  less ;  but,  after 
all,  you  can  make  more  money  in  the  city." 

"  You  think  there  are  opportunities  of  making 
money  rapidly  there?"  asked  his  companion,  with 
marked  interest. 

"  No  doubt  of  it." 

"  I  should  like  to  talk  with  you  on  that  subject 
after  supper.     Now,  I  will  go  and  tell  Mrs.  Leech 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    161 

you  are  here.     We  will  send  for  your  carpetbag  after 
supper." 

Squire  Leech  was  a  covetous  man.  He  had  a 
passion  for  money-making,  and  he  had  availed  him- 
self of  all  the  opportunities  which  the  country  af- 
forded, and  until  this  moment  he  had  fancied  him- 
self successful.  But  Temple's  talk  about  the  large 
amounts  he  had  made  in  the  city  inflamed  his  imagi- 
nation. Why  might  not  he,  too,  rise  to  half  a  mil- 
lion in  five  years  ?  He  had  about  as  much  property 
as  his  friend,  and  might  avail  himself  of  the  same 
means.  He  began  to  think  he  had  been  plodding 
along  in  a  very  slow,  unsatisfactory  manner.  He 
would  make  careful  inquiries,  and  perhaps  Temple 
would  put  him  in  the  way  of  doubling  his  money. 
Upon  the  whole,  therefore,  he  was  very  glad  to  see 
Mr.  Temple,  and  introduced  him  to  his  wife  and  son 
as  an  old  schoolmate  with  whom  he  had  once  been 
very  intimate;  though,  in  fact,  the  intimacy  was 
something  which  he  could  not  recall,  and  only  ac- 
cepted on  the  authority  of  Temple  himself.  How- 
ever, it  is  safe  to  acknowledge  intimacy  with  a  pros- 
perous and  successful  man,  and  such  Temple  ap- 
peared to  be. 


m 


\ 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


TEMPLE    THE    TEMPTER 


*'  This  is  my  son,  James,  Mr.  Temple,"  said  the 
squire  as  that  young  gentleman  came  in  to  supper  a 
little  late. 

"  Indeed !  He  is  quite  a  young  man,"  said  Tem- 
ple.    "  How  old  are  you,  James?  " 

James  took  in  at  a  glance  the  visitor's  appearance, 
which  did  not  give  the  impression  of  prosperity,  and 
answered,  haughtily,  "  I  am  sixteen." 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Leech,"  said  Temple. 
'■  I  am  not  blessed  with  a  son.  I  would  gladly  give 
twenty  thousand  dollars  could  I  have  a  son  of  your 
boy's  age." 

James  pricked  up  his  ears.  Temple  spoke  as  if 
he  had  the  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  give.  He 
must  be  a  man  of  property,  and  so  entitled  to  respect. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  your  boy?" 
asked  Temple. 

"  I  have  not  decided.  Perhaps  he  may  go  to  col- 
lege." 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  a>lawyer,"  said  James,  in  a  tone 
of  importance. 

162 


HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY         163 

"  A  good  profession.  Some  of  our  New  York  law- 
yers make  great  incomes." 

"  Do  you  live  in  New  York?  "  asked  James. 

"Yes;  that  is  my  residence.  You  must  establish 
yourself  in  the  city  when  you  are  ready  to  practice." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  want  to  do,"  said  James, 
eagerly.  "  I  don't  want  to  bury  myself  in  a  one- 
horse  country  town  like  this." 

"  And  be  a  one-horse  lawyer,"  suggested  Temple, 
laughing.  "  Quite  right,  my  young  friend.  In  the 
city  alone  you  will  find  a  broad  field  of  action.  In 
the  city  alone  Can  you  grow  into  professional  emi- 
nence." 

That's  just  the  way  I  think,"  said  James,  de- 
ciding that  Temple  was  a  very  desirable  acquaint- 
ance. 

"  I  needn't  say,  of  course,  that  I  would  do  all 
in  my  power  to  push  you,"  said  Temple;  "  and  I 
flatter  myself  I  have  some  influence." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Temple,"  said  Mrs. 
Leech ;  "  but  I  hoped  that  James  could  still  continue 
to  live  with  us." 

"  You  can't  expect  me  to  live  at  home  all  my  life," 
said  James,  impatiently. 

"  Perhaps  your  husband  may  be  persuaded  him- 
self to  remove  to  the  city,"  said  Temple.  "I  really 
think  h/yStands  in  his  own  light  in  staying  in  a  small 
place  lite  this." 


i64    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Just  so,"  said  James,  who  would  have  liked  noth- 
ing better  than  to  live  in  New  York.  "  There  is  no 
society  here.  I  have  no  boys  to  associate  with  in  my 
own  position.  Why  won't  you  move  to  New  York, 
father?" 

"  That  is  an  important  move,  and  requires  con- 
sideration," said  Squire  Leech.  "  It  costs  much 
more  to  live  in  New  York  than  here.  Of  course,  if 
it  were  to  my  advantage  to  go,  probably  I  might 
consent." 

"  I  should  like  to  talk  with  you  on  that  subject 
after  supper,"  said  Temple.  "  Mrs.  Leech,  may  I 
ask  for  another  cup  of  tea?  " 

When  supper  was  over,  Squire  Leech  led  the  way 
into  the  sitting  room,  and  his  guest  followed.  The 
vista  of  future  wealth  which  his  visitor  had  opened 
to  him  had  not  been  without  its  effect,  and  he  began 
to  make  inquiries  on  the  subject. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said,  "  there  are  ways  of  invest- 
ing money  to  good  advantage  in  New  York?  " 

"  Most  certainly — many  ways." 

"Real  estate?" 

"  That  may  do  sometimes,  but  it  is  too  slow  for 
me.  I  once  owned  a  house  uptown,  but  I  soon  got 
rid  of  it.  I  found  I  could  use  the  value  of  it  to  much 
better  advantage.  I  sold  for  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
I  took  the  money,  and  in  six  weeks  made  twenty 
thousand  more  out  of  it." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    165 

"  Is  it  possible?  "  ejaculated  the  squire.  "  Twenty 
thousand,  did  you  say?  " 

"  To  be  sure.  Of  course  that  was  extra  good  luck. 
You  can't  expect  to  do  as  well  often,  but  there  are 
always  ways  of  turning  over  capital." 

"  May  I  ask  in  what  way  you  made  this  large 
sum  ?  "  asked  the  squire,  fairly  dazzled. 

"  To  be  sure.  I  speculated  in  Erie.  It  is  all  the 
time  fluctuating,  you  know.  I  made  inquiries,  and 
became  convinced  that  it  was  on  the  rise.  I  went  in, 
and  the  event  justified  my  action." 

Temple  spoke  quietly,  as  if  it  were  no  great  matter, 
after  all.  His  host  was  very  much  impressed,  and 
felt  like  a  man  who  has  discovered  a  gold  mine. 
He  had  succeeded  in  saving  up  about  two  thousand 
dollars  a  year  for  some  years ;  but  what  was  that  to 
twenty  thousand  dollars  made  in  six  weeks?  Still, 
prudence  led  him  to  suggest :  "  But  isn't  there  dan- 
ger of  losing  heavily?  " 

"  Not  if  you  are  judicious,"  said  Temple,  "  and. 
are  acquainted  with  the  stock  market.     It  is  the  ig- 
noramuses that  get  bit." 

"  I  know  very  little  of  the  stock  market  myself," 
confessed  Squire  Leech.  "  I  own  some  bank  stocks, 
but  that  is  all." 

Temple  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  No-money  to  be  made  in  bank  stocks,"  he  said. 

"  They  pay  good  dividends." 


166  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

V 

"  No  doubt;  but  there  is  little  or  no  variation  irr 

value.     It's  fluctuation  that  gives  a  man  a  chance." 

"  I  should  be  as  likely  to  lose  as  gain,  knowing  as 
little  as  I  do  of  the  market." 

"  True;  but  I  should  be  happy  to  place  my  knowl- 
edge at  your  disposal.  As  an  old  friend  and  school- 
mate I  naturally  feel  interested  in  your  prosperity." 

"You  are  very  kind,"  said  the  squire;  "but 
wouldn't  it  be  too  much  trouble?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  In  fact,  it's  my  business,  and 
wouldn't  inconvenience  me  in  the  least.  By  the  way, 
how  is  your  property  invested  ?  "  asked  Temple,  care- 
lessly. 

"  Mostly  in  real  estate." 

"  Here  in  Wrayburn?  " 

"  Yes,  considerably." 

"  It  must  pay  you  very  little." 

"  That  is  true.  After  deducting  taxes  and  repairs, 
there  is  very  little  left." 

"  So  I  supposed.  ■  It  would  pay  you  to  mortgage 
your  property,  or  sell  it,  and  use  the  money  in  Wall 
Street." 

"  I  have  about  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  bank 
stock,"  said  the  squire. 

"  That  could  readily  be  sold." 

"  Suppose  I  sell  it,  what  investments  would  you 
suggest  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  tell  you  on  the  moment;  but  I  think 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    167 

favorably  of  a  mining  stock  lately  put  on  the  market. 
I  have  private  advices  that  it  is  likely  to  develop 
extraordinary  richness,  and  if  that  is  the  case  the 
stock  may  double,  or  even  treble,  in  three  months." 

"  Where  is  the  mine?  "  asked  the  squire,  eagerly. 

"  Out  in  Nevada.  A  friend  of  mine  has  just  re- 
turned from  there,  and  he  has  given  me  strictly  con- 
fidential information  in  regard  to  it.  He  has  so 
much  faith  in  it  that  he  has  bought  fifteen  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  shares." 

"  Could  I  get  any?  "  asked  Squire  Leech. 

"  I  think  you  could  if  you  go  to  work  quietly.  If 
you  went  into  the  market  openly,  they  would  sus- 
pect something,  and  raise  the  price  on  you." 

"  Yes,  I  see.  Do  you  think  that  is  better  than 
Erie?" 

"  At  present,  nothing  is  to  be  made  in  Erie.  It  is 
likely  to  go  down  before  it  goes  up.  I  have  studied 
into  the  matter,  and  know.  The  time  may  come 
when  you  can  buy  to  advantage,  but  not  now." 

Temple  spoke  like  an  oracle,  and  Squire  Leech 
never  thought  of  questioning  the  accuracy  of  his 
knowledge  or  of  his  statements.  He  began  to  enter- 
tain a  high  respect  for  his  old  schoolmateias  a  man 
of  extensive  information,  who  had  it  injsjl^power  to 
put  mop?y  into  his  coffers.  / 

"  I  have  a  great  mind  to  go  up  to  the  city\with 
you,  and  investigate  the  matter,"  said  the  squire. 


i68         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Do  so,  by  all  means.  I  shall  be  delighted  to  have 
your  company,  and  will  cheerfully  render  you  all  the 
assistance  in  my  power.  But,  my  friend,  let  me  give 
you  one  piece  of  advice." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  Say  as  little  as  possible  to  your  wife  on  the  sub- 
ject. Women  don't  understand  business.  They  are 
frightened  at  risks,  and  don't  understand  specula- 
tion." 

"  I  think  you  are  correct,"  said  his  host.  "  Men 
must  judge  for  themselves.  It  is  a  weak  man  who 
would  be  guided  by  his  wife." 

"  So  I  say.  Why,  my  wife  happened  to  learn  that 
I  had  gone  into  Erie  on  the  occasion  I  mentioned. 
She  remonstrated  in  great  alarm;  but  when  I  an- 
nounced that  I  had  cleared  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
she  had  no  more  to  say." 

This  is  only  a  sample  of  the  conversation  that  took 
place  between  Squire  Leech  and  Temple.  The  next 
day  they  went  to  New  York  together,  and  within  a 
week  the  squire  had  bought  largely  in  the  Nevada 
mine.  He  subscribed  to  a  financial  paper,  and  was 
fully  embarked  on  the  dangerous  sea  of  speculation. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

JAMES  IS  SNUBBED 

In  accordance  with  the  invitation  which  he  had 
accepted,  Cameron  walked  over  to  take  supper  with 
Squire  Leech.  His  social  position  as  the  son  of  a 
rich  manufacturer  insured  him  a  cordial  welcome, 
and  great  attention  from  the  whole  family. 

"  You  must  find  our  village  very  dull,  Mr. 
Cameron,"  said  his  host. 

"  ©h,  no,  sir,"  he  replied;  "  I  think  I  shall  enjoy 
it  very  well." 

"  We  have  very  little  good  society,  I  am  sorry  to 
say." 

"  That's  so,  father,"  broke  in  James.  "  I  wish 
you  would  move  to  the  city." 

"  That  may  come  some  day,"  said  his  father, 
thinking  of  Mr.  Temple  and  his  operations. 

"  There  ain't  any  boys  I  care  to  associate  with," 
said  his  son. 

"  How  do  you  occupy  your  time,  Mr.  Cameron?  ■* 
asked  Cjfrs.  Leech. 

"  I  walk  about  in  the  forenoon.  In  the  afternoon. 
169 


170    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

I  am  occupied  with  my  professor,"  answered  the 
young  man. 

'  Your  professor !  "  repeated  the  lady,  in  surprise. 
"  Is  one  of  your  college  professors  staying  here?  " 

"  No;  they  are  too  busy  to  leave  New  Haven.  I 
refer  to  my  young  reader,  Herbert  Carter." 

"  Herbert  Carter !  "  repeated  James,  scornfully. 

"  Yes,"  said  Cameron,  ignoring  the  scorn ;  "  he 
reads  my  lessons  to  me,  and  then  questions  me  upon 
them.     That  is  why  I  call  him  my  professor." 

"  I  should  hardly  think  you  would  find  him  com- 
petent," said  the  squire. 

"  He  don't  know  much,"  said  James,  contemptu- 
ously. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  find  him  very  intelligent.  He 
reads  clearly  and  distinctly,  and  I  congratulate  my- 
self on  obtaining  so  satisfactory  an  assistant." 

Squire  Leech  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  had  too 
much  wisdom  to  continue  detracting  from  Herbert's 
merits,  seeing  that  his  guest  seemed  determined  to 
think  well  of  him.     Not  so  James. 

"  He  is  from  a  low  family,"  he  said,  spitefully. 

"  Low  ?  "  interrogated  Cameron,  significantly. 

"  His  mother  is  very  poor." 

"  That's  a  very  different  thing,"  observed  Cam- 
eron, quietly. 

"  Mrs.  Carter  is  a  very  respectable  person,"  said 
the  squire,  condescendingly.     "  I  feel  for  her,  as  she 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    171 

must  have  a  hard  time  to  get  along.  Indeed,  I  have 
offered,  to  relieve  her  by  taking  her  house  at  a  high 
valuation;  but,  under  a  mistaken  idea  of  her  own 
interest,  she  refuses  to  sell." 

"But  you'll  get  it  finally,  father,  won't  you?" 
asked  James. 

"  I  shall  probably  have  to  take  it  in  the  end,  as  I 
have  a  mortgage  on  it  for  nearly  its  value." 

Cameron  looked  down  upon  his  plate,  and  said 
nothing.  He  did  not  care  to  express  an  opinion  on 
this  subject. 

"  My  son  will  be  happy  to  accompany  you  about 
the  neighborhood,  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  Squire  Leech, 
with  the  air  of  one  conferring  a  favor. 

"  I  can  go  round  with  you  'most  any  time,"  said 
James. 

"  Thank  you  both.  You  are  very  kind,"  said 
Cameron,  politely,  but  without  expressing  any  pleas- 
ure at  the  proposal. 

"  I  think  I  may  send  James  to  Yale,"  observed  his 
host.  "  I  have  a  high  idea  of  your  college,  Mr. 
Cameron." 

"  Thank  you.  I  thmk  your  son  could  hardly  fail 
of  deriving  benefit  'irom  a  residence  at  Yale,"  re- 
turned'•"he  young  collegian. 

"  James  is  my  only  child,  and  I  intend  him  to  enjoy 
the  greatest  educational  advantages.  I  should  like 
to  have  him  become  a  professional  man." 


172  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  should  like  to  be  a  "lawyer;  that's  a  very  gentle- 
manly profession,"  said  James. 

"  You  might  rise  to  be  a  judge,"  said  Cameron, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Very  likely,"  said  James,  in  a  matter-of-course 
way,  that  amused  the  young  man  exceedingly. 

"  What  an  odious  young  cub !  ".  he  said  to  him- 
self, as  he  wended  his  way  back  to  the  hotel  at  ten 
o'clock.  "  I  never  met  such  a  combination  of  pride 
and  self-conceit." 

James,  meanwhile,  had  thought  that  Cameron  had 
taken  a  fancy  to  him. 

.  "  He  must  get  awfully  tired  of  that  low-bred  Her- 
bert Carter,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  guess  I'll  go 
round  to-morrow  morning,  and  take  a  walk  with 
him." 

He  met  Cameron  on  the  steps  of  the  hotel. 

"  I  thought  I'd  come  and  walk  with  you,"  he  said. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Cameron.  "  Do  you  know  the 
way  to  Mr.  Crane's?  " 

"  The  carpenter's  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  There's  nothing  to  see  there,"  said  James. 

•"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  want  to  see  Herbert  at  his 
work." 

"  Oh,  well,  I'll  show  you  the  way,"  said  James, 
privately  wondering  at  his  companion's  poor  taste. 

Herbert  was  hard  at  work  when  the  two  came  up. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    173 

"  How  are  you  getting  along,  professor  ?  "  asked 
Cameron. 

"  Very  well,  Mr,  Cameron.  How  are  you, 
James  ?  " 

"  I'm  well  enough,"  answered  James,  who  always 
found  it  hard  to  be  decently  civil  to  our  hero.  "  Don't 
you  get  tired  of  working?  " 

"  I  haven't  worked  long  enough  this  morning  for 
that.  I  dare  say  I  shall  be  pretty  tired  before 
noon." 

"  Then  your  other  work  will  begin,"  said  Cam- 
eron. 

"  That  kind  of  work  will  be  a  rest  to  me,  it's  so 
different." 

"  If  you  had  an  extra  hoe  I  would  help  you  a  lit- 
tle," said  the  young  collegian.  "  It  would  be  as 
good  as  exercise  in  the  gymnasium." 

"  Perhaps  I  could  borrow  two,  and  so  employ  both 
of  you,"  remarked  Herbert,  with  a  glance  at  James, 
who  was  sprucely  dressed,  and  wore  a  flower  in  his 
buttonhole. 

"  None  for  me,  thank  you,"  said  James,  with  a 
look  of  disgust.  "  I  don't  intend  to  become  a  la- 
borer." 

'  Yc  ..'11  have  to  labor  if  you  study  law,"  said 
Cameron. 

"  That's  genteel ;  besides,  I  don't  call  it  labor* 
Shall  we  go  on,  Mr.  Cameron  ?  " 


174         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Not  just  yet.  I  want  to  watcft  Herbert  a  little 
longer." 

So  he  lingered  for  half  an  hour,  much  to  the  dis- 
satisfaction of  James,  who  wondered  what  interest 
he  could  feel  in  watching  a  farm  laborer. 

"Won't  you  go  out  rowing?"  he  asked,  when 
they  were  walking  away. 

"I  have  no  objection,"  said  Cameron;  and  they 
spent  an  hour  on  the  pond. 

The  young  collegian  undertook  to  give  some  in- 
struction to  his  companion  in  the  art  of  rowing,  but 
there  was  a  difficulty  in  the  way,  since  James  already 
regarded  himself  a  good  rower,  and  was  reluctant 
to  admit  faults. 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  get  into  the  boat  crew  if  I 
go  to  Yale  ?  "  he  asked,  complacently. 

"  I  should  say  not,  unless  you  improve  in  rowing." 

"  Don't  I  row  well  ?  " 

"  There  is  considerable  room  for  improvement. 
However,  you  have  time  enough  for  that." 

They  were  cruising  near  the  shore  when  a  boy  of 
ten  came  down  to  the  bank,  and  called  out  to 
them. 

"  James,"  he  said,  "  will  you  let  me  go  across  in 
the  boat  with  you?  " 

"  Why  should  I  ?  "  demanded  James,  not  very 
amiably,  for  the  boy  belonged  to  what  he  termed  the 
lower  classes. 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         175 

"  Do  let  me,"  urged  the  boy.  "  I  left  mother  very 
sick,  and  went  for  the  doctor.  She  was  all  alone, 
and  I  want  to  get  back  as  soon  as  I  can." 

By  the  road  the  boy  would  have  to  walk  about  a 
mile  and  a  quarter,  while,  he  could  be  rowed  across 
the  pond  in  six  or  seven  minutes. 

"  I  can't  take  anybody  and  everybody  in  my 
boat,"  said  James,  disagreeably.  "  Go  ahead  and 
walk." 

"  How  can  you  refuse  the  boy  when  he  wants  to 
get  home  to  his  sick  mother  ?  "  said  Cameron,  indig- 
nantly. "  Jump  in,  my  boy,  and  we'll  take  you 
over." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  James,  in  a  sul- 
len way. 

"  Look  here !  "  said  Cameron,  shortly.  "  You  can 
take  your  choice.  Refuse  this  boy,  and  I  shall  get 
out  of  the  boat  immediately,  and  refuse  hereafter  to 
be  seen  in  your  company." 

James  was  disagreeably  surprised  at  being  ad- 
dressed in  this  style,  but  he  was  inwardly  conscious 
of  Cameron's  superiority,  and  didn't  want  to  break 
with  him,  so  he  gave  a  reluctant  assent. 

"  Jump  in,  my  boy,"  said  Cameron,  kindly. 
"  Wrll  set  you  across  in  five  minutes." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  gratefully.  James 
was  not  a  little  mortified  at  the  snubbing  he  had  re- 
ceived, but  he  did  not  venture  to  expostulate. 


176    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

Cameron  was  fond  of  boating,  but  did  not  care  to 
be  indebted  to  James  for  the  loan  of  his  boat. 

"  I'll  have  a  boat  sent  on  to  me,"  he  secretly  de- 
termined, "  and  when  I  leave  Wrayburn  I'll  give  it 
to  Herbert." 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE    NEW    BOAT 


Herbert  worked  steadily  every  forenoon  on  his 
farm,  as  he  styled  it,  and  then  had  a  chance  to  rest. 
Cameron  then  proposed  that  they  should  take  the 
forenoon  for  their  studies,  and  walk  out  or  exercise 
in  some  other  way  in  the  afternoon.  To  this  Her- 
bert very  willingly  agreed. 

One  afternoon,  about  the  time  this  new  arrange- 
ment commenced,  Cameron  said :  "  Let  us  take  a 
walk  to  Prospect  Pond ;  I  think  I  should  enjoy  a  little 
rowing." 

"  I  will  accompany  you  with  pleasure,  Mr.  Cam- 
eron," said  Herbert,  "  but  don't  ask  me  to  go  out  in 
the  boat  with  you." 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  the  young  man.  "  Are  you 
afraid  I  will  upset  you?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Herbert ;  "  I  have  confidence  in. 
your  skill.     Besides  I  can  swim." 

"What  is  your  objection,  then?  " 

"  If  the  boat  belonged  to  anyone  but  James  Leech 
I  would  not  mind." 

"  Why  should  you  mind  that  ?  " 
177 


178    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  met  him  last  evening,  and  he  told  me  not  to 
get  into  his  boat  again.  He  said  he  was  perfectly 
willing  you  should  use  it,  but  he  didn't  choose  to 
have  me." 

"  It  appears  that  I  am  a  greater  favorite  with 
James  Leech  than  you  are,"  said  Cameron,  smiling. 

"  He  looks  down  upon  me  as  a  poor  boy.  With 
you  the  case  is  different." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  James  is  entitled  to  his  preju- 
dice; but  if  you  can't  use  the  boat,  I  won't." 

"  Don't  let  that  interfere  with  your  pleasure,  Mr. 
Cameron,"  said  Herbert,  eagerly.  "  I  don't  trouble 
myself  in  the  least  about  the  way  James  treats  me." 

"  You  like  boating,  don't  you?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  like  nothing  better." 

"  Let  us  go  down  to  the  pond,  at  any  rate.  We 
can  sit  down  on  the  bank,  if  nothing  better." 

"All  right." 

An  easy  walk  brought  them  to  the  edge  of  the 
pond.  Herbert  naturally  looked  for  James  Leech's 
boat.  He  thought  at  first  something  was  the  matter 
with  his  eyes,  for  where  there  should  be  but  one  boat 
there  were  now  two. 

"  Why,  there's  another  boat !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Is  there  ?  "  asked  Cameron,  indifferently. 

"  Yes,  don't  you  see  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  does  look  like  a  boat,  I  admit.  I  should 
say  it  was  nicer  than  the  other." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    179 

"  I  should  say  it  was.  Isn't  she  a  regular  beauty  ? " 
exclaimed  Herbert,  enthusiastically.  "  I  wonder 
whose  it  is?    James  wouldn't  want  two." 

There  was  a  smile  on  Cameron's  face  that  at- 
tracted Herbert's  attention. 

"  Is  it  yours  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,"  answered  the  collegian ;  "  I  know  who 
owns  it,  though." 

"  It  isn't  the  landlord,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  I  can't  imagine  whose  it  is/'  said  Herbert, 
puzzled. 

"Can't  you?" 

"  No,"  said  Herbert,  puzzled  by  the  young  man's 
peculiar  manner.    "  Will  you  tell  me  ?  " 

"  It  is  yours !  " 

"  Mine !  "  exclaimed  our  hero,  in  the  utmost  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes ;  I  bought  it,  and  had  it  sent  here.  I  in- 
tended at  first  not  to  give  it  to  you  till  I  went  away ; 
but,  on  the  whole,  I  may  as  well  give  it  now,  on  one 
condition — that  you  let  me  use  it  whenever  I  please." 

"  How  kind  you  are !  "  said  Herbert,  gratefully. 
"  I  never  received  such  a  splendid  present  in  my  life. 
I  have  done  nothing  to  deserve  it." 

"  Let  me  be  the  judge  of  that.  Now,  with  your 
consent,  we  will  try  her." 

With  the  utmost  alacrity  Herbert  followed  Cam- 


180    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

eron  aboard  the  new  craft,  and,  after  pushing  off, 
took  the  oars.  Smoothly  and  easily  the  boat  glided 
off  on  the  surface  of  the  pond. 

"  I  like  it  much  better  than  James',''  said  Herbert, 
radiant  with  pleasure. 

"  It's  a  better  model.  His  is  rather  clumsy.  Be- 
sides, this  is  new,  and  he  must  have  had  his  for  some 
time." 

"  He  has  had  it  three  years." 

"it  needs  painting." 

"  Even  if  it  were  painted  it  wouldn't  come  up  to 
this." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Cameron.  "  I  am  really 
afraid  James  will  be  stirred  with  envy  when  he  sees 
your  boat  and  compares  it  with  his  own." 

"  I  am  afraid  so,  too.  He  won't  believe  it  is  mine 
at  first." 

"  It  may  be  your  duty,  out  of  a  delicate  regard  to 
his  feelings,  to  give  it  up,  or  exchange,"  suggested 
Cameron. 

"  That's  a  little  further  than  I  carry  my  delicate 
regard  to  his  feelings,"  responded  Herbert,  with  a 
smile. 

After  half  an  hour's  rowing,  Cameron  said,  sud- 
denly :  "  I  must  go  back  to  the  hotel.  I  came  near 
forgetting  an  important  letter,  which  must  be  sent 
off  by  this  afternoon's  mail." 

Herbert  was  a  little  disappointed,  for  he  wanted  to 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    181 

remain  out  longer,  still  he  said,  cheerfully :     "  All 
right,  Mr.  Cameron;  we'll  put  up  the  boat." 

"  Don't  you  cease  your  rowing,"  said  the  col- 
legian.    "  There's  no  occasion  for  you  to  leave  off." 

"  I  thought  you  might  not  like  to  walk  back 
alone." 

"  I  don't  mind  that.  I  shall  hurry  back,  and 
should  be  poor  company.  We  will  meet  to-morrow 
morning  as  usual." 

Cameron  set  out  on  his  return  home.  He  had  gone 
less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  he  met  James 
Leech. 

"  Good-afternoon,  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  James, 
who  was  always  polite  to  the  young  collegian,  the 
rich  manufacturer's  son. 

"  Good-afternoon,  James." 

"  Won't  you  turn  back"  and  go  out  in  my  boat,  Mr. 
Cameron  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  I  have  just  returned  from  the  pond. 
I  am  obliged  to  go  back  to  the  hotel  to  write  a 
letter." 

"  I  should  have  been  glad  of  your  company,"  said 
James,  politely. 

You  won't  be  alone,"  said  Cameron,  mischie- 
vously.    "  I  left  Herbert  Carter  at  the  pond." 

"  Was  he  out  in  the  boat?  "  asked  James,  hastily. 

"  Yes." 

Without  a  word,  James  walked  abruptly  away. 


i»2    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

He  was  very  angry  with  Herbert,  who,  he  naturally 
concluded,  was  out  in  his  boat. 

"  He's  the  most  impudent  and  cheeky  boy  I  ever 
met !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  Last  evening,  I  posi- 
tively forbade  his  getting  into  my  boat,  and  he  don't 
take  the  slightest  notice  of-  it.  He  needn't  thin1!  he 
can  take  such  liberties.  It'll  be  the  last  time  he  med- 
dles with  anything  of  mine." 

Cameron  smiled,  as  he  read  James'  feelings  in  his 
face. 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  James  reprimand  Herbert 
for  the  liberty  he  thinks  he  has  taken.  But  I  must 
hurry  on." 

Just  before  reaching  the  pond  there  was  rising 
ground,  from  which  James  could  take  a  general  sur- 
vey of  the  miniature  lake.  He  did  not  have  long  to 
look  before  he  discovered  the  object  of  his  indigna- 
tion. Herbert  was  cruising  about  only  a  few  rods 
from  the  shore,  and  had  not  yet  seen  James. 

"  He  don't  think  I'm  so  near,"  thought  James, 
with  indignant  exultation.  "  He  thinks  I  won't 
know  anything  about  his  impudence.  I'll  soon  make 
him  draw  in  his  horns  and  apologize." 

In  his  excitement,  James  did  not  notice  the  boat 
particularly.  If  he  had  done  so,  he  would  have  seen 
that  he  was  mistaken,  and  that  it  was  not  his  boat 
But,  so  far  as  he  knew,  there  was  no  other  boat  on 
the  pond.     Indeed,  there  was  no  boy  whose  father 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    183 

could  afford  to  buy  him  one,  and  James  had  come  to 
think  himself  sole  proprietor  of  the  pond,  as  well  as 
of  the  only  craft  that  plied  on  its  surface. 

He  stood  still  a  minute  and  watched  Herbert 
previous  to  his  attack,  somewhat  as  a  cat  stays  her 
paw  when  she  knows  the  mouse  is  in  her  power. 

"  I  wonder,"  he  thought,  "  whether  I  couldn't 
have  Herbert  fined  for  taking  my  property  without 
leave,  especially  after  I  have  expressly  forbidden 
him  to  do  it.  I  must  ask  my  father  this  evening. 
It  would  bring  down  his  pride  a  little  to  be  taken 
before  a  justice." 

It  was  rather  singular  that  James  should  think  so 
much  of  Herbert's  pride,  when  it  was  his  own  most 
prominent  fault.  However,  he  felt  that  he  was  jus- 
tified by  his  position  in  being  proud,  while  in  Her- 
bert it  was  simply  ridiculous. 

Herbert  had  got  tired  of  cruising,  and  made  a 
vigorous  stroke,  as  if  to  cross  the  pond.  James 
thought  it  time  to  interfere.  Accordingly  he  put  up 
his  hand  to  his  mouth,  and  shouted  at  the  top -of  his 
voice  :     "  Come  right  back,  Herbert  Carter !  " 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE   RIVAL   BOATMEN 


Herbert,  bending  over  his  oars,  heard  the  per- 
emptory order  of  James  to  come  back,  and  smiled  to 
himself  as  he  instantly  -comprehended  the  mistake 
which  the  latter  had  made.  From  James'  standpoint 
his  own  boat  was  not  visible,  and  it  was  not  surpris- 
ing that  he  should  suspect  our  hero  of  having  ap- 
propriated his  boat. 

•"  I  won't  undeceive  him,"  he  thought.  "  I'll  par- 
ley with  him,  and  find  out  what  he  thinks  of 
me."     ' 

"What  do  you  want?."  he  asked,  resting  on  his 
oars,  and  looking  back  at  James. 

"  You  know  what  I  want,"  said  James,  provoked. 

"  How  should  I  know?  " 

"  I  want  you  to  come  right  back,  at  once,"  said 
James,  with  emphasis. 

"What's  happened?  What  am  I  wanted  for?" 
asked  Herbert,  coolly. 

"  You'll  be  wanted  by  the  constable,"  retorted 
James,  furiously. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  said  Herbert,  shrug- 
184 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    185 

ging  his  shoulders.  "  You  appear  to  be  mad  about 
something." 

"  So  I  am,  and  I  have  a  right  to  be." 

"  Well,  I'm  sure  I  have  no  objection,  if  you  like 
it." 

James  had  never  been  so  openly  defied,  and  he  was 
pale  with  rage. 

"  Bring  that  boat  back  here,"  he  said. 

"  If  you'll  give  me  a  good  reason,  perhaps  I  will ; 
but  I  don't  think  it  necessary  to  obey,  you  with- 
out." 

"  You  are  a  thief." 

"  Say  that  again,"  said  Herbert,  sternly,  "  and  I 
will  come  ashore  and  give  you  a  whipping." 

"  You  can't  do  it." 

"  I  can  try." 

"  Don't  you  know  I  can  have  you  arrested  for 
stealing  my  boat,  you  loafer?  " 

'"'Who's  been  stealing  your  boat,  you  loafer?" 
retorted  Herbert. 

"  You  have." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  it?  " 

"  Am  I  sure  of  it  ?  Why,  you  are  in  my  boat 
this  very  minute." 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken,"  said  Herbert,  quietly. 

"  Don't  you  call  that  a  boat  you  are  in  ?  " 

:<  Yes,  I  do ;  but  there's  more  than  one  boat  in  the 
world,  and  this  isn't  your  boat." 


1 86         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

He  rowed  near  the  shore  as  he  spoke,  and  James, 
his  attention  drawn  to  the  boat,  saw  that  it  wasn't 
his.  At  the  same  time,  walking  nearer  the  edge  of 
the  pond,  he  caught  sight  of  his  own  boat  moored 
at  its  usual  place. 

"  I  guess  I  made  a  mistake,"  said  James,  rather 
confused. 

"  I  think  you  have,"  returned  Herbert,  quietly. 
"  I  wouldn't  be  in  such  a  hurry  next  time." 

"Where  did  that  boat  come  from?"  demanded 
James. 

"  I  don't  know." 

:i  You  don't  ?  Then  you've  taken  it  without 
leave,"  said  James,  returning  to  the  charge. 

"  Oh,  the  owner  won't  object  to  my  using  it,"  said 
Herbert,  with  a  queer  smile. 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  He's  an  intimate  friend  of  mine." 

"The  owner?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  suppose  it  belongs  to  Mr.  Cameron,  then  ?  " 

"  He  bought  it." 

"  Do  you  call  him  your  intimate  friend  ?  He'd  be 
proud  if  he  heard  it,"  said  James,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Would  he?  "  said  Herbert,  with  the  air  of  one 
seeking  for  information. 

"  I  should  think  he  would,  considering  your  high 
position  in  society." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    187 

"  I  think  he's  a  pretty  good  friend  of  mine,  but  I 
have  never  called  him  an  intimate  friend." 

"  Yes,  you  have.  You  said  the  owner  of  that  boat 
was  an  intimate  friend  of  yours." 

"  So  he  is.     I'm  with  him  all  the  time." 

"  Then  why  do  you  deny  that  you  called  Mr.  Cam- 
eron your  intimate  friend  ?  " 

"  Because  Mr.  Cameron  doesn't  own  the  boat." 

"  Just  now  you  said  he  bought  it." 

"  So  he  did,  but  he  doesn't  own  it." 

"  Then  who  does  ?  "  t 

"  I  do,"  was  the  unexpected  reply. 

"  You— own — that — boat?  "  ejaculated  James,  in 
astonishment. 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  Mr.  Cameron  give  it  to  you?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.  That  boat  must  have  cost 
sixty  or  seventy  dollars.  I  don't  believe  he  would 
give  you  such  a  present  as  that." 

"  I  don't  know  as  it  makes  any  difference  what 
you  think,  as  long  as  the  boat  is  mine." 

"When  did  he  give  it  to  you?"  James  con- 
descended to  inquire. 

"  This  afternoon.  I'll  row  in.  Perhaps  you 
would  like  to  examine  it." 

He  rowed  ashore,  and  jumped  out. 

James  surveyed  with  envious  eyes  the  neat,  grace- 


188         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

ful  boat,  for  he  saw  at  a  glance  that  his  own  boat, 
even  when  new,  was  by  no  means  its  equal. 

"  How  do  you  like  it?  "  asked  Herbert,  not  with- 
out pride.    "  Isn't  it  a  beauty?  " 

:'  Very  fair,"  answered  James,  condescendingly. 
"  Did  you  ask  Mr.  Cameron  to  give  it  to  you?  " 

"  I  never  ask  for  gifts,"  said  Herbert,  with  em- 
phasis. "  What  makes  you  ask  such  a  question  as 
that?" 

"  I  thought  it  queer  that  he  should  have  given  you 
such  a  handsome  present." 

"  It  was  certainly  very  generous  in  him,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  want  to  accept  it, 
though." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  you  are  a  poor  boy,  and  it  don't  corre- 
spond with  your  position." 

"  Perhaps  not;  but  that  don't  trouble  me,"  said 
Herbert,  laughing. 

"  A  less  expensive  boat  would  have  been  more  ap- 
propriate." 

"  Perhaps  it  would ;  but  you  wouldn't  have  me  re- 
fuse it  on  that  account  ?  " 

James  did  not  answer,  and  Herbert  asked :  "  Are 
you  going  out  in  your  boat  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  try  yours,"  said  James,  more 
graciously,  for  he  was  asking  a  favor. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    189 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you,"  said  Herbert,  po- 
litely. 

"  And  you  may  take  mine,"  said  James,  with  un- 
wonted politeness. 

"  All  right."      ■ 

The  two  boys  got  into  the  boats,  and  pulled  out 
from  the  shore.  James  was  charmed  with  the  new 
boat.  He  could  not  help  seeing  that  in  every  way  it 
was  superior  to  his  own  boat,  apart  from  its  being 
newer.  It  was  certainly  very  provoking  to  think  that 
a  boy  like  Herbert  Carter,  poor  almost  to  beggary, 
should  own  such  a  beautiful  little  boat,  while  he,  a 
rich  man's  son,  had  to  put  up  with  an  inferior  one. 
Until  to-day  he  had  felt  satisfied  with  his  own  boat; 
now  he  felt  very  discontented. 

"  I  say,  Herbert,"  he  began,  when  they  returned 
from  their  short  trip,  "  don't  you  want  to  exchange 
your  boat  for  mine?  " 

"Not  much,"  answered  Herbert;  "  I  should  be  a 
fool  to  do  that." 

"  I  don't  mean  even,  for  I  know  your  boat  is  bet- 
ter.    I'll  give  you  five  dollars  to  boot." 

"No,  thank  you;  there's  a  good  deal  more  than 
five  dollars'  difference  between  your  boat  and  mine." 

"  Five  dollars  would  come  handy  to  a  poor  boy 
like  you,"  said  James,  in  his  usual  tone  of  insolent 
condescension. 

"  I  don't  want  it  enough  to  exchange  boats." 


i9o    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  ten  dollars,"  said  James. 
"  That's  an  offer  worth  thinking  about." 

"  I  shan't  need  to  think  about  it,"  said  Herbert. 
"  I  say  no." 

"  You've  got  an  extravagant  idea  of  your  boat. 
Mine  is  nearly  as  good,  but  I've  taken  a  fancy  to 
yours.    How  will  you  trade,  anyway?  " 

"  I  don't  feel  at  liberty  to  trade  at  all.  Mr. 
Cameron  gave  me  the  boat,  but  he  is  to  have  the  use 
of  it  while  he  is  here.  He  wouldn't  be  willing  to 
have  me  exchange." 

"  He  can  have  the  use  of  it  all  the  same  if  it  is 
mine." 

"  It  won't  do,  James,"  said  Herbert,  shaking  his 
head.  "  The  boat  is  mine,  and  I  would  rather  keep 
it  than  take  any  other  in  exchange." 

"  You  are  very  foolish,  then,"  said  James,  disap- 
pointed. 

"  I  may  be,  but  that  is  my  answer.  Would  you 
like  to  go  out  in  it  again?  " 

"  No;  I'm  tired  of  boating  for  this  afternoon." 

James  walked  away.  He  made  up  his  mind,  since 
he  could  not  have  Herbert's  boat,  to  tease  his  father 
to  buy  him  a  new  one  that  would,  if  possible,  exceed 
in  elegance  Herbert  Carter's.  As  to  rowing  in  an 
inferior  one,  his  pride  would  not  permit  it. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE   RACE 


James  broached  the  subject  which  was  uppermost 
in  his  mind  as  soon  as  he  got  home. 

"  I  wish  you'd  buy  me  a  new  boat,  father,"  he 
said. 

"  What's   the   matter   with   the   boat   you    have 
now?  "  asked  his  father. 

"  It's  getting  old." 

"  Isn't  it  perfectly  sound  ?  " 

"  Ye-es,"  James  admitted,  reluctantly. 

"  Then  what  do  you  want  of  a  new  one  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  outdone  by  a  boy  like  Her- 
bert Carter." 

"  T  don't  see  how  that  can  be." 

"  He's  got  a  beautiful  new  boat,  twice  as  hand- 
some as  mine  ever  was." 

"  He  has !  "  exclaimed  the  squire,  in  amazement. 
"  How  can  he  have,  without  any  money?  " 

"'Mr.  Cameron  gave  it  to  him." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.     Probably  the  boat  belongs  to 
Mr.  Cameron,  and  he  has  only  let  Herbert  use  it." 

James  shook  his  head. 

191 


i92         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  Mr.  Cameron  gave  it  to  him. 
Herbert  told  me  so." 

"  Perhaps  he  has  not  told  the  truth,"  suggested 
the  squire. 

"  He  wouldn't  tell  a  lie — that  is,  about  that,"  said 
James,  modifying  his  first  assertion,  lest  it  might  be , 
a  compliment  to  Herbert.     In  reality  he  had  implicit 
confidence  in  Herbert's  word,  much  as  he  disliked 
him. 

'  You  wouldn't  want  me  to  be  rowing  around  in 
a  poor  boat,  while  that  beggar  has  a  new  one,"  said 
James,  artfully  appealing  to  his  father's  pride. 

"  Well,  the  fact  is,  my  son,"  said  the  squire,  rather 
embarrassed,  "  it  would  not  be  convenient  for  me  to 
buy  you  a  new  boat  just  now." 

"  Why  not,  father?  I  thought  you  had  plenty  of 
money." 

"  So  I  have;  but  I  have  made  some  investments 
under  the  advice  of  Mr.  Temple,  and  so  my  funds 
are  locked  up." 

James  looked  disappointed. 

"  If  you  can  arrange  to  exchange  boats  by  paying 
a  little  boot,  you  may  do  so." 

"  I  have  proposed  it,  but  Herbert  is  very  stiff  about 
it.    He  wants  the  pleasure  of  outshining  me." 

"  Humph !  "  said  the  squire,  clearing  his  throat ; 
"  I  think  you  will  have  to  wait  a  while." 

"  How  long?  "  asked  James,  dissatisfied. 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         193 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  said  his  father.  "  If 
things  go  well,  I  expect  to  make  a  good  deal  of 
money  within  twelve  months.  Instead  of  a  rowboat, 
I'll  buy  you  a  beautiful  little  sailboat  next  sea- 
son." 

"  Will  you?  "  exclaimed  James,  delighted. 

's  Yes;  won't  that  be  much  better  than  a  rowboat, 
which,  after  all,  would  only  put  you  on  a  level  with 
young  Carter?  " 

"  You  are  right,  father ;  I  wish  I  could  have  it 
this  year." 

"  I  can't  promise  it  so  soon.  Next  spring  I  hope 
to  get  it  for  you." 

This  promise  restored  James'  good  spirits.  Cer- 
tainly a  sailboat  would  be  far  better  than  a  rowboat, 
and  there  was  very  little  chance  of  Herbert's  having 
one  given  him.  So  he  went  out  rowing  contentedly 
the  next  afternoon,  although  Herbert  was  out  also 
in  the  new  boat. 

"  Your  boat  is  better  than  mine,"  said  James,  con- 
descendingly. "  However,  it's  hardly  worth  while 
for  me  to  get  a  new  one,  as  I  am  to  have  an  elegant 
yacht  next  year." 

"  Are  you?  "  said  Herbert,  interested. 

"  Father  has  promised  to  get  me  one.  He  would 
get  me  one  this  season,  but  it  would  be  some  time 
before  it  could  be  got  ready,  and  I  can  have  it  the 
first  thing  next  spring." 


294    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  congratulate  you,"  said  Herbert.  "  I  should 
like  a  sailboat  myself." 

"  I  dare  say  you  would,"  said  James,  pompously, 
"  but  of  course  you  cannot  expect  to  have  one." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  chance  myself,  un- 
less somebody  leaves  me  a  fortune,"  said  Herbert, 
good-naturedly.     "  I  am  satisfied  with  this  boat." 

"  Of  course  it  is  more  than  a  boy  in  your  circum- 
stances could  expect." 

Herbert  smiled.  He  was  used  to  references  to  his 
circumstances.  James  never  allowed  him  to  forget 
that  he  was  a  poor  boy.  He  thought  it  hardly  worth 
noticing,  and  changed  the  subject. 

"  Shall  we  have  a  race?  "  he  asked. 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  said  James. 

Privately,  James  Leech  thought  himself  the  better 
rower  of  the  two,  or  he  would  not  have  consented. 
It  was  arranged  to  row  across  the  pond. 

"  Are  you  ready?  "  asked  Herbert. 

"  Yes." 

"  Give  way,  then." 

Both  bent  to  their  oars  and  rowed  their  best.  But 
it  was  not  long  before  Herbert  began  to  draw  away 
from  his  antagonist.  He  had  not  had  as  much  prac- 
tice as  James,  but  he  was  stronger  in  the  arms,  and 
had  paid  more  attention  to  Cameron's  instructions. 
He  came  in  more  than  a  dozen  lengths  ahead  of  his 
competitor. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    195 

"  I've  won  the  race,  James,"  he  said,  with  a  good- 
natured  smile. 

"  You  ought  to,"  said  James,  in  a  surly  tone. 

"  I  haven't  had  as  much  practice  as  you." 

"  What  if  you  haven't  ?  You've  got  a  new  boat, 
while  mine  is  old  and  clumsy." 

"  If  you  think  that  makes  any-  difference,  I'll  row 
back  with  you,  changing  boats." 

"  Agreed,"  said  James,  who  really  believed  that  it 
was  the  difference  in  the  boats  that  led  to  the  result. 

The  change  was  soon  effected,  and  they  started 
back.  But  the  result  was  about  the  same;  James 
brought  up  the  rear  at  about  the  same  distance. 

"  Beaten  again,"  said  Herbert,  pleased  with  his 
success. 

"  There's  nothing  to  crow  about,"  said  James, 
crossly.  "  Your  boat  is  a  good  one,  but  I'm  not  used 
to  it,  that's  all." 

"  I  am  not  much  used  to  ft  myself.  I  only  rowed 
in  it  yesterday  for  the  first  time." 

"  That's  long  enough  to  get  the  hang  of  it.  After 
all,  there  isn't  much  fun  in  rowing.  I'd  a  good  deal 
rather  sail." 

"  I  like  both.    There's  more  exercise  in  rowing." 

"  Don't  you  get  exercise  enough  in  hoeing  pota- 
toes ?  "  asked  James,  with  a  sneer.  "  I  shouldn't 
think  laborers  would  need  any  extra  exercise." 

"  There's  some  advantage  in  varying  your  exer- 


i96    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

cise,"  answered  Herbert,  with  good  temper.  "  There 
isn't  much  fun  in  hoeing." 

"  No,  I  should  think  not." 

"Are  you  going  in?"  asked  Herbert,  noticing 
that  James  was  proceeding  to  fasten  his  boat. 

"  Yes,  I've  g  it  tired  of  the  water." 

Herbert  was  not  to  be  alone,  however,  for. just 
then  Mr.  Cameron  appeared  on  the  bank. 

"  I  think  I'll  go  out  with  you,"  he  said. 

"  All  right,"  said  Herbert,  with  alacrity,  as  he 
rowed  the  boat  to  shore. 

"  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  our  hero,  "  mother  has 
asked  me  to  invite  you  to  take  tea  with  us  this  even- 
ing if  you  have  no  better  engagement." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  come,"  said  the  young 
collegian,  promptly. 

"  We  live  in  humble  style,  you  know,"  said  Her- 
bert, "  but  I  told  mother  you  wouldn't  mind  that." 

"  Thank  you  for  saying  so.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
meet  your  mother,  and  expect  to  enjoy  myself  better 
than  at  Squire  Leech's  table.  It  isn't  the  style,  but 
the  company,  that  gives  the  pleasure." 

Herbert  was  pleased  at  the  manner  in  which  the 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  decided  that  Mr.  Cam- 
eron was  a  real  gentleman,  while  the  squire  and  his 
son  were  only  poor  imitations. 

"Why  is  James  going  away  so  soon?"  asked 
Cameron. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    197 

"  I  have  beaten  him  in  two  races,"  said  Herbert. 
"  Very  likely  that  doesn't  suit  him." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  of  your  success.  You 
are  really  gaining  very  fast." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it.    I  want  to  be  a  good  rower." 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  do  well  anything  you  under- 
take, whether  it  be  rowing  or  anything  else." 

"  James  thinks  I  don't  need  to  row  for  exercise." 

"Why  not?" 

"  He  thinks  I  shall  get  enough  exercise  in  hoeing 
potatoes,"  answered  Herbert,  with  a"  smile. 

"  It  wouldn't  do  him  any  harm  to  get  exercise  in 
the  same  way." 

"  The  very  idea  would  shock  him." 

They  rowed  about  for  an  hour,  and  then  Cameron 
went  back  to  the  hotel,  oromising  to  reach  the 
widow's  cottage  at  five  o'clock. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

MRS.    CARTER'S   GUEST 

At  five  o'clock  Mr.  Cameron'  knocked  at  the  door 
of  Mrs.  Carter's  cottage.  It  was  opened  by  Herbert 
himself. 

"  Walk  in,  Mr.  Cameron,"  he  said,  cordially. 
"  My  mother  is  in  the  next  room." 

Mrs.  Carter  was  already  prepossessed  in  favor  of 
Cameron  from  what  her  son  had  told  her  of  him,  and 
this  feeling  was  strengthened  by  the  easy  yet  deferen- 
tial manner  in  which  the  young  collegian  greeted 
her.  In  worldly  advantages  he  was  her  superior,  yet 
with  the  instinct  of  a  true  gentleman  he  seemed 
wholly  unconscious  of  any  such  difference,  and  did 
not  exhibit  the  least  trace  of  condescension,  as  many 
well-meaning  but  really  ill-bred  persons  would  have 
done. 

"  I  have  wanted  to  see  you  for  some  time,  Mrs. 
Carter,"  he  said.  "  As  the  mother  of  my  professor, 
the  desire  was  only  natural." 

"  Herbert  tells  me  he  has  learned  a  good  deal  since 
he  has  been  reading  to  you.  He  has  often  spoken  of 
his  good  fortune  in  meeting  you." 

198 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    199 

"  I  feel  equally  fortunate  in  meeting  him,"  said 
the  collegian.  "  Not  every  boy  of  his  age  would 
adapt  himself  to  the  duties  of  his  position  as  readily 
and  intelligently  as  he  has  done." 

"  I  am  very  glad  if  you  find  Herbert  of  service  to 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Carter.  "  In  all  ways  the  engage- 
ment has  been  of  advantage  to  him.^' 

"  Squire  Leech  was  kind  enough  to  offer  me  the 
services  of  his  son,  James,"  said  Cameron,  smiling; 
"  but  I  fancy  the  arrangement  would  have  suited 
neither  of  us." 

"  James  would  hardly  have  been  willing  to  sacri- 
fice so  much  of  his  time,"  said  Herbert,  "  though  he 
might  be  willing  to  try  it  a  day  or  two  to  supersede 
me." 

"  I  think  I  shall  have  to  worry  along  with  my 
present  professor,"  said  Cameron,  "  and  allow  James 
to  devote  his  superior  talents  to  seme  other  business." 

The  table  was  already  spread,  and  they  sat  down 
to  supper.  In  honor  of  the  guest,  there  was  provided 
a  greater  variety  than  usual,  and  both  Herbert  and 
Mrs.  Carter  were  gratified  to  find  that  the  young 
collegian  did  ample  justice  to  the  meal. 

"  I  feel  almost  ashamed  of  my  appetite,"  said 
Cameron;  "  but  the  change  from  the  stereotyped  bill 
of  fare  at  the  hotel  is  pleasant,  and  gives  the  food 
an  increased  relish*"" 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Mr.  Cameron," 


200         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY     - 

said  the  widow.  "  I  could  hardly  expect  to  compete 
with  the  hotel  in  point  of  variety,  but  the  change  no 
doubt  helps  to  make  up  my  deficiencies.  Let  me  give 
you  another  cup  of  tea." 

''  Thank  you.  I  don't  often  venture  on  a  third 
cup,  but  I  think  I  will  make  an  exception  of  to- 
night." 

"  Dr.  Johnson  sometimes  got  up  to  a  dozen,  I 
believe,"  said  Herbert. 

"  He  exceeded  that  number  at  times ;  but  we  must 
remember  that  the  cups  in  his  day  barely  contained 
a  third  as  much  as  ours,  so  he  was  not  so  immoderate, 
after  all.  His  excesses  in  eating  were  less  pardon- 
able." 

"  Was  he  a  very  large  eater?  "  asked  the  widow. 

"  He  actually  gorged  himself,  if  we  are  to  believe 
the  accounts  that  have  come  down  to  us,"  said  Cam- 
eron. "  I  am  afraid,  Mrs.  Carter,  you  would  have 
found  him  a  very  unprofitable  boarder." 

"  I  read  somewhere  the  other  day  that  Victor 
Hug®  is  an  enormous  eater,"  said  Herbert. 

"  I  saw  the  paragraph  you  refer  to.  He  is  a  very 
hard  worker,  and  his  intellectual  labors,  no  doubt, 
are  a  heavy  draft  on  his  physical  system." 

"  Perhaps  it  was  so  with  Dr.  Johnson." 

"  I  suppose  it  was.  On  second  thought,  there- 
fore, we  wil-1  pardon  him  for  his  appetite,  and  hope 
that  ours  may  have  as  good  an  excuse." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    201 

"  You  mean  that  we  may  emulate  Dr.  Johnson 
and  Victor  Hugo?  " 

"Yes;  or,  rather,  I  will  limit  myself  to  Victor 
Hugo,  and  you  may  model  yourself  upon  the  author 
of  '  The  Rambler.'  " 

"Thank  you,"  said  Herbert;  "but  there  is  one 
of  Dr.  Johnson's  labors  I  shall  not  seek  to  imitate. 
I  shall  never  attempt  to  write  a  dictionary." 

"  It  must.be  a  monotonous  and  wearisome  labor. 
Besides,  I  don't  think  we  could  either  of  us  improve 
upon  Webster  or  Worcester." 

They  rose  from  the  table,  and  Mrs.  Carter,  who 
could  not  afford. to  keep  a  servant,  herself  cleared 
away  the  tea  table. 

-  Herbert,"  said  the  young  collegian,  "  you  men- 
tioned one  day  that  your  father  was  an  inventor." 

"  He  made  one  invention,  but  whether  it  will 
amount  to  anything,  I  don't  know.  He  had  high 
hopes  of  it,  but  died  before  he  had  any  opportunity 
of  testing  its  value." 

"  Will  you  show  it  to  me?  " 

"With  pleasure." 

Herbert  led  Cameron  upstairs  into  his  own  cham- 
ber, where,  since  his  father's  death,  the  work  which 
had  cost  his  father  so  many  toilsome  hours  had  been 
kept.  I  do  not  propose  to  gr:e  a  detailed  account 
of  the  invention.  It  would  not  prove  interesting  to 
my  young  readers,  who  will  only  care  to  know  how 


202    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

far  its  value  was  likely  to  help  the  fortunes  of  our 
hero. 

Cameron  examined  it  carefully,  and  in  silence. 
Herbert  waited  anxiously  for  his  verdict.  At  length 
he  spoke. 

"  As  far  as  I  am  qualified  to  judge,"  he  said, 
"  your  father's  invention  seems  to  embody  ah  im- 
provement upon  that  which  it  is  intended  to  super- 
sede. But  you  must  not  rely  too  much  upon  my 
opinion.  My  knowledge  of  the  details  of  manufac- 
turing is  superficial.  I  should  like  to  show  it  to  my 
father." 

:<  There  is  nothing  that  I  would  like  better,"  said 
Herbert,  "  if  you  think  he  would  be  willing  to  ex- 
amine it." 

"  He  would  be  glad  to  do  so.  It  is  for  his  interest 
to  examine  anything  which  will  facilitate  the  details 
of  his  business.  I  am  intending  to  go  home  next 
Friday  afternoon,  and,  with  your  permission,  will 
carry  this  with  me." 

"  I  shall  feel  very  much  obliged  to  you  if  you 
will,"  said  Herbert.  "  It  may  be  worth  nothing,  but 
it  will  be  a  relief  to  know  that,  at  least.  I  know 
it  would  have  been  my  father's  wish  to  have  it  ex- 
amined by  one  who  is  qualified  to  judge  of  it." 

"  It  is  a  pity  your  father  could  not  have  lived  to 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  his  invention,  if  it  succeeds." 

"  He   was   a   great   loss   to   us,"    said    Herbert. 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         203 

"  There  were  but  three  of  us,  and  he  was  at  an  age 
when  we  might  hope  to  have  him  with  us  for  a 
good  many  years  yet.  If  I  had  been  a  few  years 
older,  I  should  have  been  better  able  to  make  up  his 
loss  to  my  mother." 

"  She  is  fortunate  in  having  a  son  who  is  so  will- 
ing to  do  his  best  for  her,"  said  Cameron,  kindly. 
"  We  don't  know  what  the  future  may  have  in  store" 
for  us,  Herbert;  but  you  may  rely  upon  my  con- 
tinued friendship.  I  hope  to  have  many  chances  of 
serving  you." 

Herbert  pressed  the  hand  of  the  young  collegian 
warmly,  for  he  knew  that  the  offer  of  service  was 
no  empty  compliment,  but  made  in  earnest  sincerity. 

The  evening  passed  pleasantly,  and  at  nine  o'clock 
Cameron  took  his  leave.  Herbert  took  his  hat,  and 
proposed  to  accompany  him  as  far  as  the  hotel.  He 
was  walking  leisurely  back,  when  he  heard  his  name 
called,  and,  turning,  saw  that  it  was  James  Leech 
who  had  accosted  him. 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Carter?  "  inquired  James, 
in  his  usual  unceremonious  manner. 

"  I  am  returning  from  the  hotel." 

"  Been  to  see  Mr.  Cameron,  I  suppose  ?  Doesn't 
he  get  enough  of  your  company  in  the  daytime?" 

"  You  must  ask  him  that.  He  has  been  taking 
tea  at  our  house,  and  I  accompanied  him  home." 

"  He  took  supper  at  yorr  house?  " 


2o4  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Yes." 

"Did  you  invite  him?" 

"  Of  course.     What  makes  you  ask  ?  " 

"  He  seems  very  fond  of  keeping-  low  company." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Herbert,  his 
eyes  flashing-  with  indignation  at  this  insolence. 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,"  answered  James,  doggedly. 

"  Then  I  advise  you  hereafter  to  keep  your  im- 
pudence to  yourself,"  retorted  Herbert;  "and  for 
fear  you  may  forget  it,  I  give  you  this  as  a  re- 
minder." 

An  instant  later  James  Leech  found  himself  lying" 
on  his  back  on  the  sidewalk,  with  Herbert  bending1 
over  him. 

He  got  upon  his  feet,  pale  with  rage  and  morti- 
fication. 

"  I'll  be  revenged  upon  you  yet,  you  brute !  "  he 
shrieked,  in  his  fury,  and  walked  off,  leaving  our 
hero  victor  of  the  field. 

"  I  wouldn't  have  touched  him  if  he  hadn't  spoken 
against  my  mother,"  said  Herbert,  as  he  watched 
the  receding  form  of  his  young  enemy. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


A    BITTER    PILL 


James  Leech  was  furious  at  the  humiliation  he 
had  suffered.  What!  he,  a  gentleman's  son,  to  be 
knocked  down  and  triumphed  over  by  a  boy  who  was 
compelled  to  work  for  a  living!  Why,  it  was  al- 
most a  sacrilege,  and  no  punishment  could  be  too 
severe  for  such  a  flagrant  outrage. 

How  should  he  be  revenged?  First  of  all,  he 
would  get  Herbert  discharged  from  his  present  em- 
ployment. Surely  Mr.  Cameron  would  not  continue 
to  avail  himself  of  the  services  of  a  common  bully. 
To  attain  this,  he  decided  to  reveal  the  matter  to 
his  father,  and  get  him  to  speak  to  the  young  col- 
legian. Such  a  powerful  appeal  could  hardly  be 
withstood. 

"  That  boy  actually  knocked  you  down !  "  ex- 
claimed the  squire,  when  James  had  told  his  story. 
"  But  why  did  you  permit  him  to  do  it?  " 

"  He  took  me  by  surprise,"  said  James. 

"  And  what  did  you  do  on  getting  up?  Did  you 
knock  him  over?  " 

"  I  would,"  said  James,  "  but  he  went  off,  and  I 
205 


2o6    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

didn't  care  to  pursue  him.  I  thought  I  would  wait 
and  tell  you." 

"  And  what  do  you  want  me  to  do?  " 

"  To  get  Mr.  Cameron  to  turn  him  off.  I  want 
him  to  starve,"  said  James,  bitterly. 

"  You  express  yourself  too  strongly,  James ;  but, 
under  the  circumstances,  I  can't  blame  you  much. 
The  boy  is  evidently  a  ruffian." 

'  Yes,  he  is  a  ruffian  and  a  brute,  and  I  don't  see 
what  Mr.  Cameron  sees  about  him  to  like,  I  am 
sure." 

"  He  don't  know  him.  Probably  the  boy  makes 
him  think  he  is  a  model  of  excellence.  Such  boys 
are  apt  to  be  deceitful." 

"  He's  deceitful  enough.  You'd  think  butter 
wouldn't  melt  in  his  mouth." 

"  Well,  my  son,  you  have  done  right  to  speak  to 
me  on  the  subject,"  said  the  squire,  pompously.  "  I 
shall  make  such  representations  to  Mr.  Cameron  as, 
I  flatter  myself,  will  dispose  of  the  case  of  this  young 
rascal,  and  make  him  repent  his  brutal  and  unpro- 
voked assault.  I'll  go  over  to-morrow  forenoon  to 
the  hotel  and  speak  to  him  on  the  subject." 

"  Thank  you,  father.  Put  the  case  as  strong  as 
you  can." 

"  I  will,  you  may  be  assured  of  that," 

"  If  I  can  only  get  him  turned  off,  I  won't  mind 
his  hitting  me,"  thought  James.     "  I  hope  to  see  him 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    207 

in  the  penitentiary  some  day.  It  would  do  him 
good."  With  this  charitable  wish,  he  awaited  his 
father's  return. 

It  so  happened  that  Cameron  had  met  Herbert  in 
a  walk  he  took  before  breakfast,  and  had  been  in- 
formed of  the  occurrence  of  the  evening-  previous. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  ought  to  have  struck 
James,"  said  Herbert,  in  conclusion;  "but  when  he 
called  my  mother  and  myself  low,  I  couldn't  help 
it." 

"  I  am  glad  you  did  it,"  said  the  young-  collegian. 
"  The  boy  is  a  disagreeable  cub,  and  deserves  more 
than  one  lesson  of  that  sort.  Didn't  he  offer  to  hit 
you  back?  " 

"No."  ' 

"So  I  supposed.  I  don't  approve  of  fighting; 
but  if  he  had  shown  a  little  courage  to  back  his  in- 
solence, I  should  have  despised  him  less.  What  do 
you  think  he  will  do  about  it?  " 

"  He  will  injure  me,  if  he  can,"  said  Herbert.  "  I 
don't  know  how,  but  I  know  his  disposition  well 
enough  to  anticipate  some  retaliation." 

"  We  will  see  what  comes  of  it.  Meanwhile,  in 
this  matter,  you  may  count  upon  my  support." 

Herbert  thanked  his  friend,  not  realizing  how 
likely  he  was  to  be  called  upon  to  redeem  his  promise. 

Shortly  after  breakfast,  Cameron  was  told  that 
Squire  Leech  wished  to  see  him. 


2o8    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

He  met  him  in  the  parlor  of  the  inn. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  the  squire. 
"  This  is  an  early  call." 

"  Not  too  early,  sir,"  said  the  young  collegian, 
courteously. 

"  The  fact  is,  I  have  called  on  unpleasant  busi- 
ness." 

"  Really,  sir,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it." 

"It  is  about  the  Carter  boy  who  is  in  your  em- 
ploy." 

"  By  the  Carter  boy,  you  mean  my  young  friend, 
Herbert  Carter,  I  suppose,"  said  Cameron,  with 
significant  emphasis. 

"  Of  course,  he  is  the  one,  if  you  choose  to  re- 
gard him  as  a  friend." 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  look  upon  him  in  that 
light  when  you  hear  that  last  evening  he  brutally 
assaulted  my  son  James,  without  provocation,  in  the 
village  street,  taking  him  by  surprise  and  knocking 
him  over.". 

Cameron  did  not  seem  as  much  surprised  or 
shocked  as  the  squire  anticipated.  Indeed,  he  took 
the  revelation  very  coolly. 

You  say  he  did  this  without  provocation?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Cameron." 

"  Did  James  tell  you  this?  " 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         209 

"  He  did,  and  he  is  a  boy  of  truth." 

"  It  may  be  so ;  but  perhaps  he  did  not  look  upon 
it  as  a  provocation  when  he  called  Herbert  and  his 
mother  low." 

"  He  didn't  say  anything  about  that." 

"  I  dare  say  not." 

"  And  even  if  he  did  use  the  word,  it  would  not 
justify  Carter  in  brutally  assaulting  him.", 

"  I  confess  I  don't  agree  with  you  there,  Squire 
Leech.  I  hate  brutality  as  much  as  anyone,  and  an 
unprovoked  assault  I  certainly  look  upon  as  brutal. 
But  for  a  boy  to  resent  an  insult  directed  against 
his  mother,  is  quite  a  different  matter ;  and  if  Her- 
bert had  not  acted  as  he  did,  I  should  have  been 
ashamed  of  him." 

Squire  Leech  flushed  all  over  his  face.  This  cer- 
tainly was  plain  speaking. 

"  You  have  probably  been  misled  by  Carter's  state- 
ments," he  said.  "  I  don't  believe  my  boy  did  any- 
thing, or  said  anything,  that  he  had  a  right  to  com- 
plain of." 

"  From  what  I  have  observed  of  your  son,  I  re- 
gret to  differ  with  you." 

"  You  are  prejudiced  against  James,"  said  the 
squire,  who  unexpectedly  found  James  the  defendant 
instead  of  the  plaintiff. 

"  I  was  not  to  begin  with ;  but  what  I  have  seen 
of  him,  certainly,  has  not  prepossessed  me  in  his 


2io    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

favor.  He  seems  disposed  to  be  insolent  to  those 
whom  he  fancies  beneath  him  in  social  position." 

"  If  you  refer  to  the  Carter  boy,"  said  the  squire, 
pompously,  "  I  should  say  that  James  is  right  in  re- 
garding him  as  a  social  inferior." 

"  I  won't  argue  that  point,,  or  consider  how  far 
the  possession  of  money,  which  is  certainly  the  only 
point  in  which  Herbert  is  inferior,  justifies  your 
son  in  looking  down  upon  him.  I  will  onfy  say  that 
lie  has  no  right  to  insult  his  social  inferiors." 

The  discussion  had  assumed  such  a  different  char- 
acter from  what  the  squire  had  anticipated,  that  he 
found  it  difficult  to  come  to  the  request  he  had  in 
view.     But  he  did  it. 

"  I  am  certainly  astonished,  Mr.  Cameron,  to  find 
you  so  prejudiced  against  my  son.  If  you  should 
find  you  had  done  him  an  injustice,  and  that  the 
Carter  boy  was  really  the  aggressor  last  evening, 
will  you  be  willing  to  discharge  him  from  your  em- 
ployment? " 

"  I  thought  you  were  coming  to  that,"  said  Cam- 
eron to  himself. 

He  said  aloud  : 

"  If  I  find  Herbert  justifies  your  denunciations, 
and  that  his  assault  was  unprovoked,  I  will  then  dis- 
charge him." 

"  Then  you  can  do  it  at  once.  You  have  my  son's 
word  for  it." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    211 

"  And  I  have  Herbert's  word  for  the  contrary." 

"  Between  the  two,  I  believe  James." 

"  Does  James  deny  that  he  called  Herbert  and  his 
mother  low  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  asked  him." 

"  If  you  will  do  so,  and  bring  me  his  assurance 
that  he  said  nothing  of  the  kind,  I  will  examine  Her- 
bert again,  and  try  to  get  at  the  truth." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  put  the  question  to  him  im- 
mediately." 

Squire  Leech  did  so  on  his  return  home. 

"  I  d6n't  know  but  I  called  him  something  of  the 
kind,"  James  admitted,  sullenly;  "but  it's  true,  isn't 
it?" 

"  As  to  that,  the  boy  certainly  acted  in  a  very  low 
manne  \  But  then  you  shouldn't  have  called  him 
so. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,  when  I  heard  him  boasting 
of  Mr.  Cameron's  having  taken  supper  at  his  house. 
Won't  Cameron  discharge  him?" 

"No,"  said  the  squire,  shortly;  "he  is  infatuated 
about  that  boy." 

"  Suppose  we  cut  both  of  them  ?  " 

"  It  won't  do,  James.  Mr.  Cameron's  father  is  a 
wealthy  manufacturer — much  richer  than  I  am. 
We  must  keep  on  good  terms  with  him,  but  we 
needn't  notice  the  Carter  boy.  Some  day  he  and  his 
mother  will  be  in  my  power." 


2i2    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  hope  so,  father.  I  want  to  bring  him  to  his 
knees,  the  proud  beggar !  " 

It  was  a  bitter  pill  for  James  to  swallow,  seeing 
his^rival  high  in  the  favor  of  the~young  collegian; 
but  there  was  no  help  for  it. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


OUT    OF    WORK    AGAIN 


Mr.  Cameron  went  home  on  Friday  afternoon,  as 
he  proposed. 

"  I  shall  be  back  Monday  night,"  he  said  to  Her- 
bert at  parting-. 

But  Monday  night  did  not  bring  him.  Herbert 
didn't  think  much  of  it,  however,  as  it  was  easy 
to  imagine  that  some  engagement  had  delayed  the 
young  collegian.  Tuesday  morning,  however,  he  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Cameron,  which  contained  un- 
expected and  unwelcome  intelligence.     It  ran  thus: 

"  My  Dear  Herbert  :  When  I  left  you,  I  fully 
expected  to  return  on  Monday,  but  an  unexpected 
proposal  has  been  made  to  me,  which  I  think  it  ex- 
pedient to  accept.  The  physician  whom  I  consulted 
about  my  eyes  recommends  a  sea  voyage  as  likely 
to  benefit  me,  and  advises  me  to  start  at  once.  A  fel- 
low student  is  intending  to  sail  on  Saturday,  next  for 
Rio  Janeiro,  and  I  have  decided  to  go  with  him. 
While  I  hope  to  reap  advantage  from  the  voyage,  I 
regret  that  our  pleasant  intimacy  should  terminate  30 

213 


a  14    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

suddenly.  I  ought  not  to  use  the  word  '  terminate/ 
however,  as  I  fully  intend  to  keep  track  of  you,  if  I 
can,  in  your  future  plans.  I  may  be  gone  some 
months,  perhaps  a  year,  but  when  I  return  I  shall 
manage  to  meet  you. 

"  I  have  submitted  your  father's  invention  to  my 
father,  who  will  examine  it  when  he  has  leisure, 
and  communicate  with  you.  There  may  be  some 
delay,  as  he  is  obliged  to  go  to  Europe  for  three 
months  on  business. 

"  I  am  owing  you  five  dollars,  but  inclose  fifteen, 
which  I  beg  you  to  accept,  with  my  thanks  for  your 
services,  and  my  best  wishes  for  your  happiness  and 
prosperity." 

This  was  the  letter  which  Herbert  read  with  feel- 
ings of  regret  almost  bordering  on  dismay.  He 
missed  the  daily  companionship  of  Cameron,  for 
whom  he  had  formed  an  attachment  almost  broth- 
erly, and,  besides,  he  was  forced  to  regard  the  de- 
parture of  his  friend  in  its  bearing  upon  his  material 
interests.  The  income  upon  which  he  chiefly  de- 
pended was  suddenly  withdrawn,  and,  look  where  he 
might,  he  could  not  see  where  he  was  to  supply  the 
deficiency.  The  fifteen  dollars  which  Cameron  had 
so  considerately  sent  him  would,  indeed,  last  some 
time;  but  when  that  was  spent  what  was  he  to  do? 
This  was  a  question  which  cost  him  anxious  thought. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    215 

It  was  not  till  the  day  afterward  that  James  Leech 
heard  of  Cameron's  departure.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  he  took  a  malicious  satisfaction  in  the  thought 
that  his  enemy  would  now  be  deprived  of  his  main 
income.     He  hastened  to  inform  his  father. 

"  What  ?  Cameron  gone  away  ?  That  is  unex- 
pected," said  the  squire. 

"  Yes;  it  is  sudden." 
,  "  Where  is  he  gone  ?  " 

"  They  told  me  at  the  hotel  that  he  was  going  to 
sail  to  South  America.  His  eyes  are  weak,  you 
know,  and  the  doctor  thinks  the  voyage  will  do  him 
good." 

"  I  wonder  he  didn't  take  the  Carter  boy  with 
him;  he  seemed  infatuated  with  him." 

"  He  don't  care  anything  about  Carter.  At  any 
rate,  he  will  forget  all  about  him,  now  he  is  away. 
The  beggarly  upstart  will  have  to  draw  in  his  horns 
now.     He  won't  put  on  so  many  airs,  I'm  thinking." 

"  How  much  did  Cameron  pay  him  for  reading 
to  him  ?  " 

"  Five  dollars  a  week." 

"  A  perfectly  preposterous  price." 

"  So  I  think.     But  he  won't  get  it  now." 

"  They'll  find  it  hard  to  get  along." 

"  Of  course  they  will.  They  can't  pay  you  in- 
terest on  the  mortgage  now." 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  can." 


ti6  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  And  you  can  take  possession  of  the  house,  can't 
you?" 

"  I  certainly  shall  if  the  interest  isn't  paid 
promptly." 

"  Perhaps  Carter  will  sell  his  boat  now.  He  was 
pretty  stiff  about  it  before." 

"  I  wouldn't  make  him  an  offer." 

"Why  not?" 

"  If  he  succeeded  in  selling  the  boat  he  might  be 
able  to  pay  the  interest,  and  delay  my  getting  pos- 
session of  the  property."" 

"  That  is  true,"  said  James.  "  I  didn't  think  of 
that.  Besides,  you  have  promised  me  a  sailboat  next 
spring." 

"  If  business  is  good,  as  I  hope  it  may  be,  you  shall 
have  one.     At  present  I  am  rather  short  of  money." 

"  I  thought  you  always  had  plenty  of  money, 
father,"  said  James,  in  surprise. 

"  I  have  been  buying  stock  in  the  city,  James,  and 
that  has  tied  up  my  money.  However,  I  shall  prob- 
ably make  a  very  handsome  profit  when  I  sell  out. 
My  friend  assures  me  that  I  stand  a  chance  of  mak- 
ing twenty  thousand  dollars,"  concluded  the  squire, 
complacently. 

"  That's  a  big  pile  of  money,"  said  James.  "  Are 
you  pretty  sure  of  making  it  ?  " 

"  The  chances  are  greatly  in  my  favor.  Of 
course,  it  depends  on  the  turn  of  the  market." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    217 

"  If  you  succeed,  will  you  move  to  New  York, 
father?" 

"  Very  probably." 

"  I  hope  you  will.  This  village  is  awfully  slow. 
New  York  is  the  place  to  see  life." 

"  There  are  some  kinds  of  life  it  is  not  profitable 
to  see,"  said  the  squire,  shrewdly. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  cooped  up  in  a  little  country 
village  all  my  life,"  grumbled  James. 

".You  won't  be.  Don't  trouble  yourself  on  that 
score." 

"  It  will  do  well  enough  for  Carter.  He  isn't  fit 
for  anything  but  a  country  bumpkin,  but  it  don't 
suit  me." 

"  Well,  James,  you  must  be  patient,  and  things 
may  turn  out  as  you  desire." 

At  the  same  time  Herbert  was  holding  a  consulta- 
tion with  his  mother. 

"  My  prospects  are  not  very  bright  here,  mother," 
he  said,  rather  despondently.  "  I  am  ready  enough 
to  work,  but  there  is  no  work  to  be  had,  so  far  as  I 
can  see." 

"  You  forget  your  garden,  Herbert." 

"  Yes;  that  will  help  us  a  little;  but  I  can't  expect 
to  clear  more  than  twenty  dollars  out  of  it,  and 
twenty  dollars  won't  go  a  great  way."  . 

"  It  is  something,   Herbert." 

"  It  isn't  enough  to  pay  our  next  interest  bill." 


ai8    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

Mrs.  Carter  looked  troubled. 

"  If  I  could  sell  the  property  for  what  it  cost  your 
father  I  should  be  tempted  to  do  it." 

"  You  mean  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  that  would  give  us  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  over  the  mortgage." 

"  I  should  be  in  favor  of  selling  it,  too,  in  that 
case ;  but  Squire  Leech  only  offers  eleven  hundred  at 
the  outside." 

"  He  ought  to  be  more  considerate." 

"  He  wants  to  make  a  bargain  at  your  expense, 
mother.  That  isn't  all.  He  is  provoked  to  think 
you  haven't  accepted  his  offer  before,  and,  of  course, 
his  disappointment  won't  incline  him  to  be  any  more 
liberal." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  have  to  part  with  our 
home,"  said  the  widow,  with  a  sigh. 

"  There  is  one  hope,  mother.  I  don't  like  to 
think  of  it  too  much,  for  fear  it  won't  amount  to 
anything ;  but  father's  invention  may  prove  valuable. 
You  know  Mr.  Cameron's  father  has  agreed  to  ex- 
amine it." 

"  If  we  could  only  get  two  or  three  hundred  dol- 
lars for  it,  it  would  be  a  great  help." 

"  If  we  get  anything  at  all  we  shall  get  more.  I 
am  afraid  we  shall  have  to  wait,  though,  for  Mr. 
Cameron  writes  me  his  father  is  going  to  Europe  for 
a  few  months." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    219 

"  Everything  seems  against  us,  Herbert,"  said  his 
mother,  in  a  despondent  tone. 

But  Herbert  was  more  hopeful. 

"  If  we  can  only  manage  to  keep  along  and  pay 
the  next  interest,  I  think  we'll  be  all  right,  mother," 
he  said.  "  I  mean  to  try,  anyway.  If  there's  any 
work  to  be  had  anywhere  within  five  miles,  I'll  try 
to  obtain  it.  How  much  mone^r  have  you  got  left, 
mother  ?  " 

"  Ten  dollars  and  a  half." 

"  And  here  are  fifteen  that  Mr.  Cameron  sent  me. 
No  chance  of  the  poorhouse  for  a  month,  mother. 
Before  that  has  gone  by  something  may  turn  up." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


A    NEW    START 


Harvest  came,  and  for  the  time  Herbert  was 
busy.  He  could  not  afford  to  hire  assistance  and  was 
obliged  to  do  all  the  work  himself.  When  all  was 
finished,  and  his  share  of  the  vegetables  sold,  he  sat 
down  to  count  up  his  profits. 

"  Well,  mother,"  he  asked,  "  how  much  money  do 
you  think  I  have  made  by  farming?  " 
'  You  expected  to  make  twenty  dollars." 

"  I  have  cleared  twenty-one  dollars  and  a  half,  be- 
sides the  vegetables  I  have  brought  home  and  stored 
in  the  cellar." 

"  That  is  doing  very  well,"  said  Mrs.  Carter. 

"  I  have  had  to  work  very  hard  for  it,"  said  Her- 
bert, thoughtfully,  "  and  for  a  good  many  days. 
After  all,  it  isn't  quite  enough  to  pay  our  interest." 

"  The  interest  doesn't  come  due  for  six  weeks  yet." 

"  That  is  true,  mother ;  but  six  weeks  hence  we 
shall  be  poorer  than  we  are  now.  We  shall  have  to 
use  some  of  this  money  for  current  expenses,  and  I 
know  of  no  way  to  replace  it." 

"  You  may  earn  some  more.'* 
220 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    221 

"  I  don't  see  any  chance — that  is,  here.  There's 
nothing  doing  in  Wraybtirn.  If  there  were  any 
factories  or  workshops,  I  might  stand  a  chance  of 
getting  something'  to  do." 

Mrs.  Carter  did  not  reply.  She  knew  that  Her- 
bert was  right,  and  she  had  nothing  to  suggest  that 
would  better  things. 

"I  have  thought  of  something,"  said  Herbert; 
"  but  you  may  not  like  it  at  first." 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  his  mother,  with  interest. 

"  Would  you  have  any  objection  to  my  going  to 
New  York  and  trying  my  fortune  there?  "z 

Mrs.  Carter  uttered  a  little  cry  of  dismay. 

'  You  go  to  New  York — a  boy  of  your  age !  "  she 
exclaimed. 

"  I  am  old  enough  to  take  care  of  myself,"  said 
Herbert,  sturdily. 

"  A  great  city  is  a  dangerous  place." 

"  It  won't  be  dangerous  for  me.  I  shall  be  too 
busy — that  is,  if  Fget  work — to  fall  into  temptation, 
if  that  is  what  you  mean." 

"  I  should  miss  you  so  much,  Herbert,  even  if  I 
knew  you  were  doing  well,"  said  his  mother,  pathet- 
ically. 

"I  know  you  would,  mother;  and  I  should  miss 
you,  too ;  but  I  can't  live  here  always.  If  I  do  well 
in  the  city,  you  can  come  and  join  me  there." 

This  w?s  the  first  time  Herbert  broached  the  sub- 


222    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

ject  of  going  to  New  York.  He  resumed  the  attack 
the  next  day,  and  the  next,  and  finally  won  his  moth- 
er's consent  to  go  for  a  week,  and  see  whether  he 
could  find  anything  to  do. 

His  mother's  consent  obtained,  Herbert  took  but  a 
day  to  make  his  preparations.  The  next  day,  after 
an  early  breakfast,  he  started  for  the  great  city,  ex- 
cited with  the  idea  of  going,  but  hardly  able  to  re- 
press the  tears  as  he  saw  the  lonely  look  upon  his 
mother's  face. 

"  He  was  her  only  son,  and  she  was  a  widow." 

"  I  must  send  her  good  news  as  soon  as  possible," 
he  thought.    "  That  will  cheer  her  up." 

About  noon  Herbert  reached  the  city.  He  had 
formed  no  particular  plan,  except  to  find  Cornelius 
Dixon,  who  would  doubtless  be  able  to  advise  him 
about  getting  a  place,  perhaps  would  have  influence 
enough  to  procure  him  one.  He  did  not  know  where 
to  look  for  Cornelius,  but  concluded  that  his  name 
would  be  in  the  city  directory.  He  entered  a  small 
liquor  store,  which  he  happened  to  pass,  and  walked 
up  to  the  counter. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  he,  politely,  addressing  a 
young  man  behind  the  bar. 

This  young  man  had  coarse  red  hair,  and  a  mot- 
tled complexion,  and.  looked  as  if  he  patronized 
freely  the  liquors  he  sold.  He  turned  his  glance  upon 
Herbert,  who  stood  before  him  with  his  fresh,  in- 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    223 

quiring  face,  holding  under  his  arms  a  small  bun- 
dle of  clothing  tied  up  in  a  paper. 

"  Hello,  yourself !  "  he  answered.  "  Want  some 
bitters?" 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Herbert,  innocently,  "  I  don't 
require  any  medicine." 

"Medicine?"  repeated  the  other,  with  a  frown. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  compare  my  drinks  to  medicine  ?  " 

"  You  said  bitters,"  returned  Herbert. 

"  You're  from  the  country,  ain't  you  ?  "  asked  the 
bartender. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  So  I  thought.  You  haven't  cut  your  eyeteeth 
yet.  When  a  gentleman  takes  a  drink  he  takes  his 
bitters.     Now,  what'll  you  have  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  thank  you." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  thank  me.  I  didn't  offer  to 
give  you  a  drink.    What  do  you  want,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  Have  you  got  a  directory?  " 

"  No ;  we  don't  keep  one.  We  don't  care  where 
our  customers  live.    All  we  want  is  their  money." 

Herbert  did  not  fancy  the  bartender's  tone  or  man- 
ner, but  felt  that  it  would  be  foolish  to  get  angry. 
So  he  explained :  "  I  have  a  cousin  living  in  the  city; 
I  thought  I  could  find  out  where  he  lived  in  the  di- 
rectory." 

"  What's  your  cousin's  name  ?  " 

"  Cornelius  Dixon." 


224    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Never  heard  of  him.  He  don't  buy  his  bitters 
at  this  shop." 

It  was  clear  that  no  satisfaction  was  to  be  found 
here,  and  Herbert  looked  further.  Finally,  at  a 
druggist's  he  found  a  directory,  and  hopefully 
looked  for  the  name.  But  another  disappointment 
awaited  him.  There  were  several  Dixons,  but  Cor- 
nelius was  not  among  them. 

"  I  must  give  him  up,  and  see  what  I  can  do  by 
myself,"  thought  Herbert.  "  I  wish  I  could  come 
across  him." 

It  seemed  strange  to  him  that  one  who  was  so 
prominent  as  Cornelius  claimed  to  be,  and  who  had 
been  living  for  years  in  the  city,  should  have  been 
overlooked  by  the  compilers  of  the  directory.  He 
was  not  discouraged,  however ;  he  expected  to  en- 
counter difficulties,  and  this  was  the  first  one. 

He  kept  on  his  way,  attracting  some  attention  as 
he  walked.  The  city  arab  knows  a  stranger  by  in- 
stinct. 

"Carry  your  bundle,  mister?"  asked  a  ragged 
urchin. 

"  No,  thank  you.     I  can  carry  it  myself." 

"  I  won't  charge  you  much.  Take  you  to  any 
hotel  in  the  city." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  go  to  any  hotel.  I  can't 
afford  it.  Can  you  show  me  a  cheap  boarding 
house?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    225 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy.     "  What'll  you  give  ?  " 

"  Ten  cents." 

"  That  ain't  enough.  It  wouldn't  keep  me  in 
cigars  an  hour." 

"  Do  you  smoke?  "  asked  Herbert,  surprised. 

'  In  course  I  do.     I've  smoked  for  four  or  five, 
years." 

"  How  old  are  you?  " 

"  The  old  woman  says  I'm  ten.  She  ought  to 
know." 

"  It  isn't  good  for  boys  to  smoke,"  said  Herbert, 
gravely. 

"Oh,  bosh!   Dry  up!   All  us  boys  smoke." 

Herbert  felt  that  his  advice  was  not  called  for,  and 
he  came  to  business. 

"I'll  give  you  fifteen  cents,"' he  said,  "if  you'll 
show  me  a  good,  cheap  boarding  house." 

"  Well,"  said  the  arab,  "  business  is  poor,  and 
I'll  do  it  for  once.     Come  along." 

Herbert  concluded  from  the  boy's  appearance  that 
he  would  be  more  likely  to  know  of  cheap  than  of- 
f ashionable  boarding  houses ;  but  it  did  not  occur  to 
him  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  being  too  cheap. 
He  realized  it  when  the  boy  brought  him  to  the  door 
of  a  squalid  dwelling  in  a  filthy  street,  and,  pointing 
to  it,  complacently  remarked :  "  That's  the  place  you 
want — that's  Rafferty's." 

Herbert  stared  at  it  in  dismay.     Accustomed  to 


226    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

the  utmost  neatness,  he  was  appalled  at  the  idea  of 
lodging  in  such  a  place. 

''  Gimme  them  fifteen  cents,  mister,"  said  the  boy, 
impatiently. 

"  But  I  don't  like  the  place.  I  wouldn't  stay 
here." 

"  It's  cheap,"  said  the  young  arab.  "  Rafferty'll 
give  you  a  lodging  for  ten  cents,  meals  fifteen.  You 
can't  complain  of  that,  now." 

"  I  don't  complain  of  the  price.  It's  dirty.  I 
wouldn't  stay  in  such  a  dirty  place." 

"  Oh,  you're  a  fine  gentleman,  you  are!  "  said  the 
boy,  sarcastically.  "  You'd  better  go  to  the  Fifth 
Avenoo  Hotel,  you  had." 

"  I  won't  stop  here.     I  want  some  decent  place." 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Rafferty  herself  had  come  to  the 
door,   and  caught  the  meaning  of  the  conference. 
She  took  instant  and  decided  umbrage  at  Herbert's' 
last  words. 

"  Dacent,  do  ye  say?  "  she  repeated,  with  flaming 
eyes  and  arms  akimbo.  "  Who  dares  to  say  that 
Bridget  Rafferty  doesn't  keep  a  dacent  house?  " 

"  He  does,"  said  the  arab,  indicating  Herbert, 
with  a  grin. 

"  And  who  are  you,  I'd  like  to  know?  "  demanded 
Mrs.  Rafferty,  turning  upon  Herbert  angrily. 
"  Who  are  you,  that  talks  agin'  a  poor  widder  that's 
tryin'  to  earn  an  honest  living  ?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    227 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  madam,"  said  Herbert,  anx- 
ious to  get  out  of  the  scrape.     "  I  meant  no  offense." 

"  Lucky  for  you,  thin !  "  said  Mrs.  Rafferty,  in 
a  belligerent  tone.  "  Be  off  wid  you  both,  thin,  or 
I'll  call  a  cop." 

Herbert  turned  to  go,  nothing  loath,  but  his  guide 
followed  him. 

"  Gimme  them  fifteen  cents,"  he  demanded. 

"  You  haven't  shown  me  a  good  boarding  place." 

"  Yes,  I  did." 

"  You  don't  seem  to  know  what  I  want.  I'll  give 
you  five  cents,  and  look  out  for  myself." 

The  young  arab  tried  for  ten;  but  Herbert  was 
firm.  He  felt  that  he  had  no  money  to  waste,  and 
that  he  had  selected  a  poor  guide.  It  was  wiser  to 
rely  upon  himself. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 

OPENING    THE    CAMPAIGN 

Not  knowing  his  way,  but  wandering  wherever 
Che  fancy  seized  him,  Herbert  finally  came  to  Wash- 
ington Square,  and  took  a  seat  on  one  of  the  benches 
provided  for  the  public.  He  looked  around  him  with 
interest,  surveying  the  groups  that  passed  him, 
though  without  the  expectation  of  recognizing  any- 
one. But,  as  good  fortune  would  have  it,  the  very 
person  he  most  desired  to  see  strolled  by. 

Mr.  Cornelius  Dixon  looked  like  a  cheap  swell.  In 
his  dress  he  "caricatured  the  fashion,  and  exhibited 
a  sort  of  pretentious  gentility  which  betrayed  his 
innate  vulgarity.  He  stared  in  wonder  when  a  hoy 
with  a  bundle  under  his  arm  started  from  his  seat, 
and  hurried  toward  him  with  the  greeting:  "How 
do  you  do,  Mr.  Dixon  ?  " 

"  Really,"  drawled  Cornelius,  "  you  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  me." 

"Don't  you  remember  me?  I  am  your  cousin, 
Herbert  Carter." 

"  What.!  the  boy  the  old  fellow  left  his  old  clothes 
to?  "  asked  Cornelius. 

228 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         229 

"  The  same  one,"  answered  Herbert,  smiling. 

"  You  haven't  got  any  of  'em  on,  have  you  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Dixon,  surveying  him  with  curiosity. 

"  Yes ;  this  coat  was  made  from  my  uncle's 
cloak." 

"  Shouldn't  have  thought  it.  It  looks  quite  re- 
spectable, 'pon  my  honor.  When  did  you  come  to 
the  city?" 

"  Only  this  morning." 

"  On  a  visit  ?  " 

"  No.;  I  want  to  fi  \4  a  place." 

"  Humph !  "  muttered  Cornelius,  thoughtfully. 
"  Places  don't  grow  on  every  bush.  Where  are  you 
hanging  out?  " 

"  I  haven't  found  a  place  yet.  I  want  to  find  a 
cheap  boarding  house." 

"  You  might  come  to  mine." 

"  Perhaps  you  pay  more  than  I  could  afford,"  sug- 
gested Herbert,  who  wras  not  aware  that  Cornelius 
had  a  very  limited  income,  and  occupied  a  room  on 
the  fourth  floor  of  a  Bleecker  Street  boarding  house, 
at  the  weekly  expense  of  five  dollars. 

"  You  can  come  into  my  room  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  then  we'll  see  what  arrangement  we  can  make. 
I'm  going  there  now.     Will  you  come  along?  " 

Herbert  gladly  accepted  the  invitation.  He  was 
tired  of  wandering  about  the  great  city,  not  knowing 
where  to  lay  his  head;  accordingly  he  joined  this 


23o    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

genteel  cousin,  and  they  walked  toward  Bleecker 
Street. 

"  Have  you  got  any  money?  "  queried  Cornelius, 
cautiously. 

"  Not  much.  If  I  don't  find  something  to  do  in 
a  week,  I  must  go  back  to  the  country." 

"  A  week's  a  short  time  to  find  a  place.  But  hold 
on !  We  want  a  boy  in  our  store.  I  guess  I  could 
get  you  in." 

"  What  wages  would  I  get?  " 

"  Two  dollars  a  week,  to  begin  with." 

"  I  couldn't  live  on  that,  could  I?  " 

"  I  guess  not.  Four  dollars  a  week  would  be  the 
least  you  could  get  boarded  for." 

"  Then  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  go  home  than 
to  stay  here,  and  get  into  debt." 

"  Perhaps  it  would,"  said  Cornelius,  who  was 
afraid  Herbert  might  want  to  borrow  of  him. 

"Can't  I  get  something  better?  How.  much  pay 
do  you  get?  " 

"  Ahem !  only  twenty  dollars  a  week,"  answered 
Mr.  Dixon,  who  really  got  about  half  that. 

"  Why,  that's  splendid !  "  said  Herbert. 

"  So  it  would  be  if  I  only  got  it,"  thought  Cor- 
nelius. "  I  can't  save  anything,"  he  answered.  "  I 
have  to  dress  in  the  fashion,  you  know,  on  account 
of  my  position  in  society." 

Herbert  privately  thought,  from  an  inspection  of 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    231 

his  cousin's  wardrobe,  that  the  fashion  was  a  queer 
one,  but  he  did  not  say  so. 

"  It's  a  shame  the  old  man  didn't  leave  us  more," 
said  Mr.  Dixon,  in  an  aggrieved  tone. 

"  It  would  have  been  convenient,"  Herbert  ad- 
mitted. 

"  He  ought  to  have  left  us  ten  thousand  dollars 
apiece." 

"  What  would  you  have  done  with  so  much 
money  ?  " 

"  Gone  into  business  on  my  own  account.  If  I 
had  a  store  of  my  own  I  might  have  offered  you  a 
place." 

"  But  suppose  I  had  received  ten  thousand  dollars 
too?" 

"  Then  I  would  have  taken  you  into  partnership. 
It  would  be  a  grand  thing  for  you  to  be  junior  part- 
ner in  a  New  York  firm." 

Herbert  thought  so,  too,  though  it  is  doubtful 
whether  a  firm  of  which  Mr.  Dixon  was  the  head 
would  have  occupied  so  proud  a  position  as  some 
others. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  spent  all  your  legacy?  "  said 
Herbert. 

"  I  should  say  so.  What's  a  hundred  dollars?  I 
bought  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  a  dozen  pair  of  kids, 
and  a  box  of  cigars,  and  that  took  up  about  all  of  it. 
You  don't  smoke,  do  you  ?  " 


232  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  Herbert,  surprised  at  the 
question. 

"  Better  not.  It's  expensive.  Wait  a  minute.  I 
want  to  buy  a  cigar." 

Mr.  Dixon  dove  into  a  cigar  store,  and  emerged 
with  one  in  his  mouth. 

Soon  they  reached  the  boarding  house.  It  was  a 
five-story  brick  building,  rather  shabby  outwardly. 

Cornelius  opened  the  door  with  a  night  key,  and 
bade  Herbert  follow.  So  he  did,  up  to  the  fifth  floor, 
where  his  guide  opened  a  door  and  admitted  him 
into  a  room  about  ten  feet  square,  in  a  bad  state  of 
disorder.  In  the  corner  was  a  bed,  not  very  inviting 
in  appearance.  It  looked  very  different  from  the 
neat  little  bed  which  Herbert  slept  in  at  home.  The 
furniture  was  of  hair,  and  had  evidently  seen  better 
days.  There  were  two  chairs,  both  of  them  covered 
with  portions  of  Mr.  Dixon's  wardrobe.  Cornelius 
cleared  off  one,  and  invited  Herbert  to  be  seated. 

"  This  is  my  den,"  he  said. 

"  Den  "  seemed  to  be  the  right  word,  though 
Herbert  did  not  say  so.  He  wondered  why  a  man 
with  so  large  an  income  did  not  live  better. 

"  You  can  brush  your  hair  if  you  want  to,"  said 
Cornelius.  "  The  supper  bell  will  ring  right  off.  I'll 
take  you  down  with  me." 

"Will  there  be  room?"  asked  Herbert. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I'll  arrange  about  that.    If  you  like  you 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    233 

can  room  with  me,  and  I  guess  I  can  fix  it  so  you 
needn't  pay  more  than  four  dollars  a  week,  getting 
your  lunch  outside." 

"  I  wish  you  would,"  said  Herbert,  who  felt  that, 
dirty  as  the  room  was,  it  would  be  more  like  home 
to  him  than  where  he  was  wholly  unacquainted. 

At  the  table  below,  Herbert  found  a  seat  next  to 
Cornelius.  There  were  other  clerks  at  the  table 
whom  Mr.  Dixon  knew,  also  two  or  three  married 
couples,  and  two  extra  ladies. 

"  That  lady  is  an  actress,"  whispered  Cornelius, 
pointing  to  a  rather  faded  woman,  of  about  thirty, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table. 

"Is  she?"  returned  Herbert,  examining  her 
with  considerable  curiosity.  "  Where  does  she 
play?" 

"  At  the  Olympic,"  said  Mr.  Dixon.  "  She  is  Ro- 
salie Vernon." 

"  That's  a  pretty  name." 

"  It's  only  her  stage  name.  Her  real  name  is 
Brown." 

"What  makes  her  change  her  name?  " 

"  It  sounds  better.  There's  nothing  like  a  high- 
sounding  name,  you  know." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  her  play  ?  " 

"Often;  she's  good." 

"  She  looks  very  quiet." 

"She  don't  say  much  here;' but  on  the  stage  she 


!34 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 


has  enough  to  say  for  herself.  Do  you  see  that  man 
with  gray  hair  and  spectacles  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  He's  an  Italian  count.  He  lost  his  property 
somehow,  and  is  obliged  to  give  lessons  in  French 
and  Italian.     Quite  a  come-down,  isn't  it  ?  " 

Herbert  was  interested.  In  Wrayburn  he  saw  the 
same  faces  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other.  There 
were  no  actresses  or  members  of  the  nobility  to  be 
seen  there.  He  had  no  idea  of  the  variety  of  people 
to  be  met  with  in  the  great  world.  His  ideas  were 
enlarged,  and  he  found  a  great  deal  to  think  of.  He 
resolved  to  write  a  letter  to  his  mother  that  very 
night.  Though  he  had  been  but  a  few  hours  in  the 
city,  there  would  be  plenty  to  write  about. 

The  dinner  was  quite  a  fair  one  for  a  cheap  board- 
ing house.  Of  course,  those  who  occupied  the  best 
rooms  paid  much  more  than  Cornelius — some  three 
times  as  much — and  the  landlady  felt  obliged  to 
provide  fare  that  would  satisfy  all.  Herbert  was 
very  hungry,  and  did  full  justice  to  the  meal. 

In  the  evening  he  discussed  his  plans  with  Cor- 
nelius. 

"  Can't  I  get  more  than  two  dollars  a  week  in  a 
store  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  afraid  not ;  though  you  might  be  fortunate 
enough  to  stumble  on  a  place  where  they  would  give 
three." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    235 

"  Even  that  would  not  be  enough  to  live  upon.  I 
must  take  that,  at  any  rate,  and  I  hoped  to  be  able 
to  save  something." 

"  There  are  some  newsboys  who  make  a  dollar  a 
day,"  suggested  Cornelius. 

"  A  dollar  a  day  ?  That's  six  dollars  a  week," 
said  Herbert,  hopefully. 

"  Exactly." 

"  Do  you   think  I  could  go  into  that?  " 

"  Of  course  you  can,  if  you've  got  money  enough 
to  buy  a  stock  of  papers  to  start  with.  You'll  be 
you  own  boss.  Then  there's  bootblacking ;  but  that 
ain't  genteel." 

"  I  should  prefer  selling  papers." 

"  Then  you'd  better  try  it.  I've  spoken  to  the 
landlady,  and  she'll  take  you  for  four  dollars  a 
week." 

Herbert  closed  the  day  in  good  spirits.  He 
thought  he  saw  his  way  clear  to  supporting  himself 
in  the  city.  Before  he  went  to  bed  he  wrote  a  cheer- 
ful letter  to  his  mother,  and  deposited  it  in  a  post- 
office  box  at  the  corner  of  a  street. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 


HERBERT    AS   A    NEWSBOY 


The  next  morning,  by  advice  of  his  roommate, 
Herbert  got  up  early,  and  made  his  way  downtown 
and  obtained  a  supply  of  morning  papers. 

The  first  day  was  not  a  success,  chiefly  on  account 
of  his  inexperience.  He  was  "  stuck  "  on  nearly 
half  his  papers,  and  the  profits  were  less  than  noth- 
ing. But  Herbert  was  quick  to  learn.  The  second 
day,  though  he  still  had  some  papers  left,  he  cleared 
twenty-five  cents.  The  third  day  he  netted  seventy- 
five.  He  felt  now  that  he  had  passed  the  period  of 
experiment,  and  that  he  would,  at  any  rate,  be  able 
to  pay  his  board.  Of  course,  he  hoped  for  some- 
thing better,  and  indeed  felt  confident  of  it. 

Three  weeks  later,  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, as  he  stood  in  front  of  the  Astor  House,  with 
his  last  paper  in  his  hand,  he  heard  his  name  called 
in  a  familiar  voice : 
- "  Hello,  Carter ;  are  you  here  ?  " 

He  did  notTieed  to  turn  around  to  recognize  James 
Leech. 

"  Good-morning,  James,"  he  said,  politely. 
336 


HERBEki    CARIES    LEGACY         237 

"  So  you're  a  newsboy,"  said  James. 

"  Yes;  anyway  to  make  a  living." 

"  Do  you  make  much  ?  "  inquired  his  old  foe, 
curiously. 

"  I  haven't  made  enough  to  retire  upon  yet ;  but 
I  can  manage  to  pay  my  board." 

"  How  much  do  you  pay  for  your  board  ?  " 

Herbert,  hesitated  about  gratifying  his  curiosity, 
but  finally  did  so. 

.:  Four  dollars,"  repeated  James,  scornfully.  "  It 
can't  be  much  of  a  boarding  house." 

"  An  Italian  count  boards  there,"  said  Herbert, 
knowing  James'  respect  for  rank. 

''  You  don't  say  so !  "  returned  James,  rather  im- 
pressed.    "Did    he  ever  speak  to  you?  " 

"  He  spoke  to  me  this  morning." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  '  Will  you  pass  ze  butter?  '  " 

"  I  mean,  did  you  have  any  conversation  with 
him?" 

"  No;  he  can't  speak  English  very  well." 

"  Do  you    save  up  any  money?  "  inquired  James. 

Herbert  penetrated  his  motive  in  asking  the  ques- 
tion, and  did  not  mean  to  give  too  definite  informa- 
tion.    But  James  was  bent  on  learning  all  he  could. 

"  How  much  do  you  make  a  day?  "  he  asked. 

"  Sometimes  more,  sometimes  less,  just  as  it  hap- 
pens." 


a38    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  can't  tell  anything  from  that." 

"Why  do  you  want  to  know?"  asked  Herbert, 
pointedly. 

"  Curiosity,  I  suppose." 

"  So  I  thought.  If  it  was  from  interest  in  me,  I 
would  tell  you ;  but  I  don't  care  to  gratify  your  (furi- 
osity." 

'  You  don't  expect  me  to  feel  any  interest  in  a 
common  newsbo)'",  do  you?" 

"  No;  I  don't.     I  know  you  too  well  for  that." 

"  I  don't  see  what  object  you  have  in  refusing  to 
answer  my  questions." 

"  If  you  are  thinking  of  going  into  the  business 
yourself,  I'll  tell  you." 

"la  newsboy?  I  sell  papers  in  the  street?  You 
must  be  crazy !  "  returned  James,  haughtily. 

"  I  suppose  you  feel  above  it,"  said  Herbert,  smil- 
ing. 

"  To  be  sure  I  do.    Haven't  I  a  right  to?  " 

"  Oh,  you  must  settle  that  question  for  yourself. 
Papers,  sir?  " 

The  gentleman  addressed  purchased  the  last  re- 
maining paper,  and  Herbert  was  free  till  afternoon. 

"  How  do  you  like  the" city?  "  asked  James. 

"  Very  much.  I  should  like  to  have  my  mother 
here;  then  I  would  be  contented." 

"  We  may  come  to  live  here,"  said  James.  "  Of 
course,  we  shall  live  in  a  brownstone  front,  uptown." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    239 

"  I  live  in  a  brick  house,"  said  Herbert,  smil- 
ing. 

"  Fashionable  people  live  in  brownstone  fronts," 
said  James. 

"  I  suppose  I  am  not  fashionable,  then." 

"  I  should  say  not,"  said  James.  "  The  idea  of  a 
fashionable  newsboy !    It's  ridiculous." 

'■  I  may  be  rich  sometime." 

"  Then  you'll  have  to  go  into  some  other  business. 
But  there  isn't  much  hope  for  you.  You'll  be  a  poor 
man." 

"  You  seem  very  confident  of  it." 

"  You've  got  no  chance,  you  know.  But  I  must 
be  going." 

"  Good-morning,  James." 

"  Morning." 

"  Who  do  you  think  I  met  this  morning,  father  ?  " 
asked  James,  later  in  the  day. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  The  Carter  boy." 

"  Where  did  you  meet  him  ?  " 

"  He  was  selling  papers  in  front  of  the  Astor 
House." 

"  He  won't  get  rich  very  fast  in  that  business. 
What  did  he  have  to  say  for  himself?  " 

"  He  wouldn't  tell  me  how  much  money  he  was 
making.  He  pays  four  dollars  a  week  for  his 
board." 


24Q    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  He  probably  finds  it  hard  to  pay  that.  It  isn't 
likely  he  lays  up  anything.  He  would  do  better  to 
stay  in  Wrayburn." 

"  Do  you  think  so?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it/' 

u  Then  you  think  he  can't  send  any  money  to  his 
mother?  " 

■'.  No ;  he  will  find  it  hard  to  pay  his  own  ex- 
penses.'' 

'  Then  she  won't  be  able  to  pay  the  interest  on  the 
mortgage?  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  can." 

"  And  you  will  seize  the  house  ?  " 

"  I  fully  intend  to  do  so." 

"  Good !  That'll  bring  down  Carter's  pride.  He's 
as  cheeky  as  ever.". 

"  He  hasn't  much  to  be  proud  of." 

"  That  don't  seem  to  make  any  difference  with 
him.    He  talks  as  if  he  were  my  equal." 

"  That  don't  make  him  so." 

"  When  are  you  going  to  move  to  the  city, 
father?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  squire,  shortly. 

"  I've  got  tired  of  Wrayburn." 

"  You'll  have  to  stay  there  till  my  business  will 
allow  me  to  move." 

The  fact  was.  Squire  Leech  had  just  had  an  un- 
satisfactory  interview  with   Mr.   Andrew   Temple. 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    241 

Under  the  advice  of  that  gentleman  he  had  invested 
a  very  considerable  sum  of  money  in  some  mining1 
shares,  in  the  assurance  that  he  would  be  able  in  a 
very  short  time  to  sell  at  a  large  profit.  But  from 
the  time  he  bought,  they  began  to  drop.  He  asked 
an  explanation  of  Mr.  Temple. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  financier,  "  there's  no 
being  sure  of  the  market.  So  many  trivial  circum- 
stances affect  it,  that  the  wisest  of  us  cannot  abso- 
lutely predict  anything.  We  can  only  calculate 
probabilities." 

"  You  told  me  there  was  no  doubt  about  the  stock 
rising,"  grumbled  the  squire. 

"  Nor  is  there  any,  if  you  only  have  patience  t& 
wait.  Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,  you  know,"  said 
Temple. 

"  It  seems  to  me  there  is  a  good  deal  of  uncer- 
tainty and  risk  in  these  stock  operations,"  objected 
the  squire,  very  sensibly. 

"  Not  under  discreet  guidance;  if  you  only  have 
pluck  and  patience,  you  are  morally  sure  of  a  fortune 
in  the  end.  Fortunes  are  made  every  day.  Why, 
there's  old  Jenkins,  a  grocer  on  Sixth  Avenue — * 
you've  heard  of  his  luck,  haven't  you?  " 

"  No." 

"  Made  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  six  months  from 
an  original  investment  of  ten  thousand.  At  first, 
things    went  against  him,  but  he  was  bound  to  see 


242  HERBERT   CARTER'S    LEGACY 

the  thing  through,  and  he  did,  and  he's  forty  thou- 
sand better  off  for  it." 

"What  did  he  invest  in?"  asked  the  squire, 
eagerly. 

Mr.  Temple  told  him,  but  I  regret  to  say  that  the 
whole  thing  was  a  fiction,  intended  to  encourage  his 
dupe.  He  succeeded  in  influencing  the  squire  to  put 
another  large  sum  into  his  hands,  and  sent  him  away 
hopeful.  To  raise  this  sum  Squire  Leech  was  obliged 
to  sell  or  mortgage  most  of  his  real  estate  to  parties 
whom  Mr.  Temple  found  for  him.  The  prices  real- 
ized were  less  than  his  valuation  of  the  property; 
but  Temple  told  him  this  was  not  so  important,  as 
he  was  sure  to  double  his  money  in  twelve  months 
by  investments  in  Wall  Street. 

So  Squire  Leech  gave  himself  up  to  dreams  of 
sudden  wealth.  He  subscribed  to  two  financial 
papers,  and  spent  many  hours  in  studying  their  col- 
umns. He  was  soon  able  to  talk  glibly  of  stocks  and 
bonds,  and  the  Wrayburn  people  thought  he  was  on 
the  highroad  to  becoming  a  millionaire. 

"  Depend  upon  it,  the  squire's  a  long-headed 
man,"  said  old  Tom  Cooper,  in  the  village  tavern. 
"  It  wouldn't  surprise  me  a  mite  if  he  died  worth  a 
million." 

Such,  indeed,  was  the  general  talk ;  but  we,  who 
know  Andrew  Temple  better  than  the  villagers,  may 
seriously  doubt   whether   it   was   a   lucky   day   for 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         243 

Squire  Leech   when   he   put  his   property   into  his 
hands. 

About  this  time  Herbert  met  a  gentleman  who 
was  destined  to  exert  an  influence  upon  his  fortunes. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 


HERBERT  S   LEGACY 


The  weeks  slipped  rapidly  away.  Herbert  suc- 
ceeded in  maintaining  himself  at  his  new  business, 
and  never  failed  to  have  ready  the  four  dollars  which 
he  had  agreed  to  pay  for  his  board.  It  was  lucky  lie 
did,  for  he  soon  found  that  there  would  be  no  chance 
of  borrowing  from  his  roommate.  Cornelius  was  al- 
ways hard  up.  As  he  only  paid  a  dollar  more  board 
than  Herbert,  the  latter  wondered  what  he  did  with 
his  twenty  dollars  a  week.  But  the  fact  was,  Air. 
Dixon  at  present  received  but  half  that  sum,  though 
pride  induced  him  to  represent  otherwise.  And 
what,  I  ask,  are  ten  dollars  a  week  to  a  young  man 
of  fashionable  tastes?  No  wonder  he  was  always 
short  of  funds.     How  could  it  be  otherwise? 

Of  course  it  was  satisfactory  to  Herbert  to  feel 
that  he  was  paying  his  way.  But  still  he  had  a 
source  of  anxiety.  He  felt  that  he  ought — indeed, 
it  was  absolutely  necessary — to  contribute  to  his 
mother's  support.  Moreover,  the  dreaded  day  on 
which  the  semi-annual  interest  came  due  was  close 
at  hand.     So  far   as   he  could  judge,   his   mother 

344 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    245 

would  have  nothing  to  meet  it.  It  seemed  inevitable 
that  she  should  submit  to  the  squire's  demand,  and 
sacrifice  the  house.  It  was  a  sad  thing  to  think  of, 
yet  there  was  this  consolation:  the  three  or  four 
hundred  dollars  cash  which  the  squire  would  pay 
would  tide  over  the  next  year  or  two,  until  Herbert 
was  older  and  could  earn  more. 

But,  after  all,  was  it  certain  that  he  would  earn 
more  ?  Could  he  sell  more  papers  two  years  hence 
than  now?  That  was  hardly  likely.  If  he  wanted 
to  advance  his  income,  it  must  be  in  some  other  busi- 
ness. Yet,  to  a  boy  situated  as  he  was.  there  was 
little  chance  of  getting  .any  employment  that  would 
make  as  good  immediate  returns  as  selling  papers 
insured  him. 

So,  thinking  over  these  things,  our  hero  was  nruch 
perplexed,  and  could  see  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty. 
He  had  never  read  "  David  Copperfield,"  and  had 
not  accustomed  himself  to  expecting  something  to 
turn  up.  He  was  sensible  enough,  indeed,  to  know 
that  it  is  idle  to  wait  for  such  chances.  Yet,  when 
one  does  his  duty  faithfully,  things  will  occasionally 
turn  up,  and  this  was  precisely  what  happened  to 
Herbert. 

He  was  standing  at  his  accustomed  post  one  day, 
when  a  pleasant-looking  gentleman  of  fifty,  or  per- 
haps a  little  more,  accosted  him,  inquiring  for  a  par- 
ticular morning  paper. 


»46    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  I  haven't  got  it,  sir;  but  I  will  get  you  one," 
said  Herbert. 

"Will  you  be  long?" 

"  No,  sir ;  I  know  where  I  can  get  one  for  you  at 
once." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  will  wait  here  till  you  re- 
turn." 

Herbert  was  as  good  as  his  word.  As  the  gentle- 
man paid  him,  he  asked,  pleasantly :  "  How  is  busi- 
ness, my  young  friend?  " 

"  Pretty  good,  sir." 

"  Can  you  make  money  enough  to  support  your- 
self?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  I  suppose  you  are  contented?  " 

"  I  should  be,  sir,  if  I  had  only  myself  to  look 
after." 

"  You  haven't  a  wife  and  family,  I  presume,"  said 
the  gentleman,  smiling. , 

Herbert  laughed. 

"  I  hope  not  yet,  sir,"  he  answered.  "  But  I  have 
a  mother  whom  I  ought  to  assist." 

"  And  you  cannot?  " 

"  I  have  not  been  able  to  yet.  It  takes  all  I  can 
earn  to  pay  my  own  expenses." 

"  Does  your  mother  live  in  the  city?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  in  the  town  of  Wrayburn,  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  from  here." 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    247 

"  Wrayburn  ?  "  repeated  the  gentleman,  in  sur- 
prise. 

''Yes,  sir;  it  is  a  small  village.  I  dare  say  you 
never  heard  of  it." 

"  But  I  have  heard  of  it.  My  son  passed  a  few 
weeks  there  during  the  last  summer." 

It  was  Herbert's  turn  to  be  surprised.  He  ex- 
amined the  gentleman's  face  attentively,  and  it 
dawned  upon  him  who  he  was. 

"  Are  you  Mr.  Cameron  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  How  is  it  that  you  know  me  ?  "  inquired  the 
other. 

"  My  name  is  Herbert  Carter.  I  was  employed 
to  read  to  your  son.     Have  you  heard  from  him  ?  " 

"  We  are  expecting  a  letter  daily,  but  the  distance 
is  considerable,  and  we  may  have  to  wait  for  some 
time  yet.     So  you  are  Herbert  Carter  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  My  son  was  very  much  interested  in  you.  He 
has  spoken  often  of  you." 

"  He  was  very  kind  to  me." 

"  Your  father  was  an  inventor." 

"  That  was  not  his  business,  but  he  devoted  his 
leisure  to  invention." 

"  My  son  placed  in  my  hands,  for  examination,  a 
model  of  his,  just  before  he  went  away." 

"  Have  you  examined  it  ?  What  do  you  think  of 
it,  sir?  "  asked  Herbert,  eagerly. 


248         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  I  only  recently  returned  from  Europe,  and  have 
not  thoroughly  examined  it.  So  far  as  I  have  done 
so,  I  am  inclined  to  think  favorably  of  it." 

Herbert's  heart  bounded  with  hope. 

"  Do  you  think  we  can  get  anything  for  it?  "  he 
asked. 

"  I  think  you  can.  Indeed,  if  further  examina- 
tion bears  out  my  first  favorable  impressions,  I  will 
myself  make  you  an  offer  for  it." 

"  I  should  be  so  glad,  for  mother's  sake !  "  ex- 
claimed Herbert. 

"  My  young  friend,"  said  Mr.  Cameron,  "  I  like 
your  feeling  toward  your  mother.  I  sincerely  hope 
I  may  be  able  to  make  you  a  satisfactory  offer.  By 
the  way,  how  are  you  situated?  Can  you  leave  the 
city  this  afternoon?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  come  home  with  me.  You  shall  be  my 
guest  for  a  week.  During  that  time  we  will  examine 
and  decide  about  the  model." 

"  Thank  you,  sir;  you  are  very  kind,"  said  Her- 
bert, hesitating. 

"  What  makes  you  hesitate?  " 

"  T  am  afraid  I  don't  look  fit  to  visit  a  gentle- 
man's family." 

"  Oh.  never  mind  that,"  said  Mr.  Cameron,  heart- 
ily. "  We  are  plain  people,  and  don't  value  fine 
dress." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY  249 

"Will  there  be  time  for  me  to  go  home  first?  " 
said  Herbert. 

"  Yes;  you  can  meet  me  two  hours  hence  at  the 
St.  Nicholas,  Hotel.  I  occupy  Room  121.  On 
second  thoughts,  you  may  as  well  wait  for  me  in  the 
reading  room." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

Herbert  hurried  home,  arrayed  himself  in  clean 
clothes,  put  up  a  small  bundle  of  necessary  articles, 
and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  was  at  the  hotel  awaiting 
Mr.  Cameron.  He  left  a  note  for  Cornelius  Dixon, 
explaining  that  he  was  called  out  of  the  city  for  a 
few  days,  but  would  write  soon.  He  did  not  enter 
into  details,  for  he  was  not  at  all  certain  that  things 
would  turn  out  as  he  hoped. 

Mr. -Cameron  lived  in  a  substantial  country  house, 
with  a  fine  garden  attached.  Nothing  was  wanting 
of  comfort  in  his  hospitable  home,  but  he  avoided 
show  and  ostentation.  To  Herbert  was  assigned  a 
large,  well-furnished  chamber,  the  best  he  had  ever 
occupied,  and  he  was  made  to  fee!  at  home.  The 
next  day  he  accompanied  Mr.  Cameron  to  the  manu- 
factory, which  he  found  to  be  a  scene  of  busy  in- 
dustry,  employing  three  hundred  hands. 

"  I  shall  be  busy  to-day;  but  to-night  I  will  look 
at  your  father's  model,"  said  the  manufacturer. 
"  Probably  it  will  be  three  or  four  days  before  I 
can  come  to  any  decision." 


250  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

Herbert  passed  his  time  pleasantly  for  the  next 
three  or  four  days.  Yet  he  could  not  avoid  feeling 
anxious.  Interest  day  was  close  at  hand,  and  his 
hopes  might  end  in  failure. 

On  the  fourth  day  Mr.  Cameron  said  to  him : 
"  Well,  Herbert,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  about 
your  father's  invention." 

Herbert's  suspense  was  great.  His  heart  almost 
stopped  beating. 

The  manufacturer  went  on : 

"  I  consider  it  practicable,  and  am  disposed  to 
make  you  an  offer  for  it.  Are  you  authorized  to 
conclude  terms?  " 

"  My  mother  will  agree  to  anything  I  propose, 
sir." 

"  Then  this  is  my  offer.  The  model  must  be  pat- 
ented at  once ;  I  will  see  to  that.  Then  make  over  to 
me  half  the  invention,  and  I  will  agree  to  pay  you 
and  your  mother  one  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  the 
next  ten  years." 

"Are  you  in  earnest?"  gasped  Herbert. 

"  Entirely  so,"  said  Mr.  Cameron.  "  Will  that 
satisfy  you  ?  " 

"  I  would  have  accepted  a  quarter  of  the  sum  you 
offer,  sir." 

"  Better  not  tell  me  that,"  said  Mr.  Cameron, 
smiling.  "  I  might  take  advantage  of  it.  Will  you 
consider  it  a  bargain,  then  ?  " 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    251 

"  Oh,  how  happy  my  mother  will  bef"  said  Her- 
bert. 

"  Don't  you  want  to  go  home. .  and  carry  the 
news?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  very  much." 

Then  his  countenance  changed.  Two  days  hence, 
as  he  reflected,  the  interest  would  be  payable.  Must 
they  lose  the  house,  after  all  ?  If  only  he  had  a  small 
part  of  the  money,  it  would  make  matters  all  right. 

"  Does  anything  trouble  you  ?  "  asked  the  manu- 
facturer, noticing  the  sudden  change  in  his  counte- 
nance. 

Upon  this  Herbert  told  him  exactly  how  they  were 
situated  in  regard  to  the  house,  and  in  what  danger 
they  were  of  losing  it. 

"  If  it's  nothing  worse  than  that,"  said  Mr.  Cam- 
eron, cheerfully,  "  you  needn't  feel  anxious.  I  will 
advance  you  a  hundred  dollars,  on  account  of  the 
contract,  and  you  shall  give  me  a"  receipt  for  it." 

Herbert's  face  cleared  instantly,  and  he  was  warm 
'in  his  gratitude. 

The  next  morning  he  started  for  home. 

After  all,  the  little  model  which  his  father  left 
behind  had  proved  to  be  his-  most  valuable  legacy. 


CHAPTER    XXXV 


HERBERT  S    RETURN 


Mrs.  Carter  was  setting  the  table  for  her  solitary 
supper.  She  had  been  very  lonely  since  Herbert 
went  away.  The  days  seemed  doubly  long.  Most 
of  all  she  missed  him  at  mealtime.  He  kept  her  in- 
formed of  all  that  was  going  on  in  the  village,  and 
when  there  was  no  news  to  tell  he  talked  over  their 
plans  for  the  future.  Life  seemed  very  dull  and 
monotonous  without  him.  Yet  the  poor  mother  al- 
ways wrote  cheerfully,  for  she  did  not  want  to  damp 
his  courage,  or  interfere  with  the  plan  of  life  lie  had 
formed.  She  felt  that  there  was  nothing  for  him  to 
do  in  Wrayburn,  and,  since  she  could  not  go  to  him, 
they  must  be  content  to  live  apart  for  the  present. 

"  I  wish  I  could  see  my  boy,"  she  sighed,  as  she 
poured  out  her  solitary  cup  of  tea,  and  tried  to  force 
down  a  few  mouthfuls  of  toast.  *  Shall  we  ever  be 
able  to  live  together  again  ?  " 

There  was  a  noise  at  the  outer  door,  a  quick  step 
was  heard,  and  Herbert  rushed  in,  nearly  upsetting 
the  table  in  his  impetuosity,  as  he  embraced  his 
mother 

as* 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         25s 

"  Are  you  glad  to  see  me,  mother-?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  don't  know  how  I  have  longed  to  see  you !  * 
was  the  heartfelt  reply. 

She  did  not  ask  what  brought  him  home  nor  care 
to  ask  as  yet.  She  was  too  happy  in  having  him 
back. 

"  You  don't  ask  for  my  news,  mother,"  said  Her- 
bert, after  a  pause. 

"  Is  it  good  news?  "  she  asked,  wistfully. 

"  Suppose  I  should  tell  you  that  Mr.  Cameron's 
father  has  agreed  to  pay  two  hundred  dollars  for 
father's  model !  " 

"Has  he,  really?"  asked  Mrs.  Carter,  her  face 
lighting  up. 

"  He  has  bought  it,  that  is,  half  of  it ;  but  he  is 
to  pay  more  than  that." 

"  More-than  two  hundred  dollars,  Herbert?  " 

"  More  than  three  hundred.  What  do  you  think 
of  that?" 

"  Are  you  in  earnest,  Herbert?  " 

"  Quite  in*  earnest,  mother ;  only  it  is  better  than, 
a  dream.  You  mustn't  be  too  much  excited,  mother, 
when  you  hear  the  whole.  I  will  only  say  that  we 
shan't  have  to  pinch  any  more,  or  lie  awake  thinking 
how  to  ward  off  starvation." 

"And  can  we  be  together  again,  Herbert?  You 
don't  know  how  lonely  it  is  without  you." 

"  Poor   mother..'     How    lonesome   it   must   have 


254  HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

been !  Yes ;  we  can  be  together  again,  if  you  think 
a  thousand  dollars  a  year  will  pay  our  expenses." 

"  A  thousand  dollars  a  year !  "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Carter,  thinking  that  Herbert  was  bereft  of  his 
senses.  "  It  can't  be  that  your  father's  invention  is 
worth  as  much  as  that  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Cameron  has  offered  that  for  half  the  in- 
vention, and  I  agreed  to  sell  to  him.  I  supposed  you 
would  not  object." 

"Object?  I  did  not  dream  of  getting  one-tenth 
as  much.    It  seems  to  me  like  a  dream." 

"  It  is  a  happy  dream,  mother,  and  a  true  one. 
Father  little  thought  what  a  handsome  legacy  he  was 
leaving  us  when  he  left  us  that  model." 

"  How  happy  it  would  have  made  him  had  he 
known  it  before  he  died !  Tell  me  how  it  all  hap- 
pened." 

So  Herbert  had  to  tell  his  mother  about  his  fortu- 
nate meeting  with  Mr.  Cameron,  and  what  resulted 
from  it. 

"  Mr.  Cameron  is  a  very  honorable  man,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  for  he  might  easily  have  offered  one-quar- 
ter as  much,  and  I  should  have  agreed  to  it.  Now, 
mother,  let  me  tell  you  my  plans  for  the  future.  In 
the  first  place,  tell  me,  are  you  willing  to  leave  Wray- 
burn?" 

"  I  am  willing  to  live  anywhere  if  we  are  to- 
gether." 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         255 

"  Mr.  Cameron  proposed  to  me  to  accept  a  clerk- 
ship in  his  office,  but  for  the  present,  I  told  him,  I 
wished  to  make  up  the  deficiencies  in  my  education. 
In  the  town  where  he  lives  there  is  a  flourishing' 
academy.  I  propose  that  we  move  there,  and  I 
spend  the  next  two  years  in  study.  We  shall  have 
a  competent  income,  more  than  enough  to  support  us, 
and  so  I  can  afford  the  time." 

"  I  fully  approve  of  your  proposal,  Herbert.  We 
may  sometime  lose  our  money,  but  a  good  education 
never." 

"  I  was  sure  you  would  agree  with  me." 
"  Shall  we  have  any  difficulty  in  finding  a  house 
of  suitable  size?  " 

"  I  inquired  about  that.  There  is  a  very  pretty] 
cottage  just  vacated,  not  far  from  the  academy.  I 
find  we  can  have  it  at  a  moderate  rent.  I  have  al- 
ready got  the  refusal  of  it,  and  will  write  at  once 
that  we  will  hire  it." 

"  And  what  shall  we  do  with  this  house  ?  " 
"  We  won't  sell  it  to  Squire  Leech  at  a  sacrifice. 
That  is  one  thing  certain.     By  the  way,  day  after 
to-morrow  is  the  day  for  paying  the  interest." 
'Yes;  I  have  been  troubling  myself  about  it." 
"  There  is  no  occasion ;    I  have  a  hundred  dollars 
in  my  pocket,  given  me  on  account  by  Mr.  Cameron. 
So  the  squire  is  checkmated.    But,  mother,  I  have  a 
favor  to  ask  of  you." 


256         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

"  What  is  that?  " 

"  For  two  clays  keep  secret  our  good  fortune." 

''Why,  Herbert?" 

"  I  want  the  squire  to  be  deceived — to  think  the 
place  is  in  his  grasp,  and  realize  that  there  is  many 
a  slip  between  the  cup  and  the  lip." 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  the  neighbors  if  they  ask 
why  you  have  got  home  ?  " 

"  Say  that  I  am  not  going  back  to  New  York — ■ 
that  I  couldn't  earn  enough  there  to  save  any- 
thing." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  think  best,  Herbert;  but  I  am 
afraid  that   my   joy   at  the   good   news   you   have 
brought  will  betray  me." 

"  It  will  be  attributed  to  your  joy  in  having  me 
back.  We'll  keep  things  secret  for  a  day  or  two — 
that's  all." 

After  supper  Herbert  walked  out.  He  was  popu- 
lar in  the  village,  and  received  many  cordial  greet- 
ings. To  the  inevitable  inquiries  he  replied  as  he 
had  suggested  to  his  mother. 

Presently  he  met  James  Leech.  He  smiled  to  him- 
self as  he  saw  James  advancing  to  meet  him,  but 
assumed  a  sober,  downcast  look. 

"Hello,  Carter!  Have  you  got  back?"  said 
James. 

"Yes."' 

■*  "**  tired  of  New  York ?  ■ 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    257 

"  I  should  like  New  York  well  enough,  if  I  could 
make  enough  money  there." 

"  Then  you're  not  going  back?  "  asked  James,  in  a 
tone  of  satisfaction. 

"  Not  at  present." 

"  I  thought  you'd  be  coming  back,"  said  James, 
in  a  tone  of  triumph. 

"  What  made  you  think  so?  " 

"I  knew  you  couldn't  get  along  there." 

"  I  supported  myself  while  I  was  there." 

"  But  you  didn't  make  anything  over?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  you  might  as  well  be  back." 

"  I  don't  know.  I  am  not  sure  of  doing  that  in, 
jWrayburn." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  stay  in  Wrayburn  long. 
Father  talks  of  moving  to  New  York,"  said  James, 
in  a  burst  of  confidence.  "  What  do  you  expect  to 
do  here?  " 

"  Do  you  think  your  father  would  give  me  work  ?  " 
asked  Herbert,  demurely. 

"  I  don't  know.  He  might,  if  you  agreed  to  sell 
the  house." 

"  We  may,  if  we  can  get  enough  for  it." 

"  You'll  have  to,  anyway.  You  must  be  very 
poor." 

"  We've  got  a  little  money." 

"  Well,  I'll  mention  your  case  to  father.    I'm  sorry 


58    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

tor  you,  but  I  knew  beforehand  you  wouldn't  suc- 
ceed in  New  York." 

Herbert  smiled  quietly  as  James  walked  away. 

"  He'll  be  astonished  when  he  hears  the  truth," 
thought  he. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

CONCLUSION 

James  repeated  to  his  father  what  Herbert  had 
told  him,  and  the  squire  jumped  to  the  conclusion 
that  Herbert  and  his  mother  were  in  his  power,  and 
must  accede  to  his  demand.  He  decided  to  take 
advantage  of  their  necessities,  and  allow  only  three 
hundred  dollars  for  the  house. 

He  entered  the  little  house  with  the  air  of  a  pro- 
prietor. 

"  I  suppose  you  know  my  errand,  Mrs.  Carter,'* 
he  said,  pompously. 

"  I  believe  this  is  interest  day,"  returned  the 
widow. 

"  Yes.  I  presume  you  have  by  this  time  seen  the 
folly  of  holding  on  to  the  place.  You  can't  afford  it, 
and  it  is  best  to  accept  my  offer." 

"  My  mother  and  I  have  thought  it  over,  and  de- 
cided to  sell,"  said  Herbert. 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  so  sensible,"  observed  Squire 
Leech,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction.  "  I  will  give  you 
three  hundred  dollars  over  and  above  the  mortgage.'* 

"  You  offered  us  fifty  dollars  more  before." 
259 


26o    HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"  Then  is  not  now.  You  should  have  accepted 
my  offer  when  I  made  it." 

"  We  have  no  idea  of  selling  at  that  price,''  said 
Herbert.  "  Our  lowest  price  is  six  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  over  and  above  the  mortgage." 

"Are  you  crazy?  "  ejaculated  the  squire,  angrily. 

"  No;  we  have  fixed  upon  that  as  a  fair  price," 
said  Herbert,  coolly. 

''  You  know  you  can't  get  it." 

"  Then  we  won't  sell." 

'  Young  man,  I  apprehend  you  do  not  under- 
stand how  the  matter  stands.  You  will  have  to 
sell." 

"Why  must  we?" 

"  You  can't  live  on  nothing." 

"  Of  course  not." 

*\  You  have-made  a  failure  in  New  York." 

"  I  made  my  expenses  while  I  was  there." 

"Then  why  didn't  you  stay?  " 

"  I  wanted  to  do  something  for  my  mother's  sup- 
port." 

"  Y'ou  have  altogether  too  high  an  idea  of  your 
own  abilities." 

"  I  hope  not.  sir." 

"  You  influence  your  mother  to  her  harm." 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Squire  Leech." 

"  But  in  this  case  you  must  yield.  You  can't  ex- 
pect me  to  wait  for  my  money.'*' 


HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY    261 

"  Do  you  mean  the  interest?  "  « 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  We  shall  not  ask  you  to  wait.  I  am  ready  to 
pay  it." 

The  squire  stared  in  discomfiture  while  Herbert 
drew  out  the  precise  sum  needed  to  pay  the  interest. 

"  Where  did  you  get  that  money?  "  he  inquired, 
chopfallen. 

"  Honestly,  Squire  Leech.  Will  you  give  me  a  re- 
ceipt ?  " 

The  squire  did  so  mechanically. 

"  I  will  give  you  the  three  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars," he  said;  "  but  you  must  accept  it  to-day,  or  it 
is  withdrawn." 

"  Neither  to-day  nor  any  other  day  will  it  be  ac- 
cepted, Squire  Leech,"  said  Herbert,  firmly.  "  If 
you  choose  to  pay  six  hundred  and  fifty,  we  will 
sell." 

"  You  must  think  I  am  crazy." 

"  No,  sir ;  it  is  a  fair  offer.  If  you  don't  want  to 
buy,  we  will  make  another  offer.  We  will  rent  the 
house  for  ninety  dollars  a  year.  That  is  the  interest 
on  fifteen  hundred  dollars  at  six  per  cent.  I  believe 
a  man  in  your  employ  wishes  to  live  here." 

"Where  do  you  propose  to  live?"  asked  Squire 
Leech,  in  surprise. 

"  We  are  going  to  leave  town." 

"  Have  you  got  a  chance  to  work  outside?  " 


262  HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY 

"Yes;  but  I  have  declined  to.  I  am  going  to 
school  for  two  years — to  an  academy." 

"But  how  are  you  going  to  live  all  this  time?" 
inquired  the  squire,  in  amazement. 

"I  shall  live  on  my  income,"  answered  Herbert, 
smiling. 

"  Income!     Have  you  had  a  legacy?  " 

"  Yes." 

' '  From  who  ?  I  thought  you  only  got  a  trunk  of 
old  clothes  from  your  uncle." 

"  My  legacy  comes  from  my  father." 

"  But  he  died  poor." 

"  He  left  behind  him  an  invention,  half  of  which 
we  have  sold  for  an  income  of  a  thousand  dollars  a 
year." 

"  A  thousand  a  year!  "  ejaculated  the  squire. 

"  Yes.  I  have  sold  it  to  the  father  of  Mr.  Cam- 
eron, who  employed  me  last  summer.  You  see,  there 
is  no  occasion  for  our  selling  the  house." 

"  You  have  been  very  fortunate,"  said  Squire 
Leech,  soberly.     "  I  congratulate  you  both." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Herbert,  who  privately 
thought  their  visitor  looked  excessively  annoyed  at 
their  good  fortune. 

"  I  will  see  you  about  the  house,"  he  said,  as  he 
rose  to  go. 

"  Well,  the  squire  congratulated  us,"  said  Her- 
bert, after  he  went  away;  but  he  didn't  look  happy 


HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY         263 

when  he  did  so.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  accepted 
our  terms,  now  that  he  knows  we  needn't  sell." 

Herbert  proved  to  be  right.  Two  days  later  the 
squire  offered  six  hundred  dollars  over  the  mortgage 
for  the  place,  and  it  was  accepted. 

"  The  place  is  worth  more,  mother,"  Herbert  said; 
"  but  it  will  relieve  us  from  care  to  sell  it." 

James  was  even  more  annoyed  than  his  father 
when  he  heard  of  Herbert's  good  fortune ;  but  after 
his  first  annoyance  he  showed  a  disposition  to  be 
friendly.  It  is  the  way  of  the  world.  Nothing 
makes  us  sought  after  like  a  little  good  fortune. 
James  felt  that,  now  Herbert  was  in  a  position  to  live 
without  work,  he  was  a  gentleman,  and  to  be  treated 
accordingly.  Herbert  received  his  overtures  politely, 
but  rated  them  at  their  real  value. 

Two  years  slipped  away. 

Herbert  has  finished  his  course  at  the  academy, 
and  is  about  to  enter  the  manufactory  as  an  office 
clerk.  Mr.  Cameron  means  to  promote  him  as  he 
merits,  and  I  should  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  our 
young  friend  eventually  became  junior  partner.  He 
and  his  mother  have  bought  the  house  into  which 
they  moved,  and  have  done  not  a  little  to  convert  it 
into  a  tasteful  home.  The  invention  has  proved  all 
that  Mr.  Cameron  hoped  for  it.  It  has  been  widely 
introduced,  and  Herbert  realizes  as  much  from  his 
own  half  as  Mr.  Cameron  agreed  to  pay  for  that 


264         HERBERT    CARTER'S    LEGACY 

which  he  purchased.     So  his  father's  invention  has 
proved  to  be  Herbert  Carter's  most  valuable  legacy. 

Squire  Leech  has  been  unfortunate.  Too  late  he 
found  that  Andrew  Temple  had  deceived  and  de- 
frauded him.  All  his  large  property,  except  a  few 
thousand  dollars,  has  been  swept  away,  and  James, 
disappointed  in  his  lofty  hopes,  last  week  applied  to 
Herbert  to  use  his  influence  to  obtain  him  a  situation 
in  Mr.  Cameron's  establishment.  There  was  no  va- 
cancy there,  but  our  hero  has  found  him  a  place  in  a 
dry-goods  store  in  the  same  town.  Whether  he  will 
keep  it  remains  to  be  seen.  Times  have  changed 
since  James  looked  upon  Herbert  as  far  beneath  him. 
Now  he  is  glad  to  be  acknowledged  as  his  compan- 
ion. If  James  profits  by  his  altered  circumstances, 
the  loss  of  his  father's  property  may  not  prove  so 
much  of  a  misfortune  after  all,  for  wealth  is  far 
from  being  the  greatest  earthly  good.  For  our 
young  friend  Herbert  we  may  confidently  indulge  in 
cheerful  anticipations.  He  has  undergone  the  disci- 
pline of  poverty  and  privation,  and  prosperity  is  not 
likely  to  spoil  him.  He  has  done  his  duty  under 
difficult  circumstances,  and  now  he  reaps  the  reward. 


THE    END 


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